


Snakes, Weasels, and Foxes

by yukipup



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Big Brother Itachi, Childhood Trauma, Definitely some ItaNaru, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Naruto AU, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Possible smut later, SNS for sure, Some Ages Altered To Fit The Story, Some trigger warnings in later chapters, This might not turn out the way you think, This story is a serious remaster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-01-23 10:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 67,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21318598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukipup/pseuds/yukipup
Summary: Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha have moved to the city of Konoha after living in their family's estate their entire lives. Itachi doesn't talk about why, Sasuke stopped asking. Naruto Uzumaki is a junior at Konoha High School who was orphaned as a child. The three of them end up getting involved in each others' lives and as time goes on, a horrible truth comes to light that will forever change their lives and prove just how small the world really is.~*Updated every other Wednesday!*~
Relationships: Gaara/Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi/Yamato | Tenzou, Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 65
Kudos: 168





	1. A Life-Changing Experience

**Chapter 1: A Life-Changing Experience**

Naruto Uzumaki sat at his desk at Konoha High, blue eyes gazing apathetically out the window as the teacher lectured on in the background. The teen’s cheek rested on his hand for a moment more before he leaned back in his seat with a half-suppressed sigh. He had given up on taking notes just a mere twenty minutes into class, choosing instead to turn his attention to whatever happened to catch his eye outside on the school grounds.  
  
A pink-haired female next to him seemed to notice Naruto’s distraction and reached over to poke him in the arm, her eyes on the teacher to make sure they wouldn’t get caught talking. “Hey, Naruto. You okay?” The spiky-haired blond glanced in her direction before shrugging lightly, earning himself a frown in return. “You know Iruka-sensei’s gonna yell at you again if you don’t pay attention.”  
  
A single blond eyebrow arched slightly. “Aw, Sakura. Iruka doesn’t scare me. Besides, I’m passing with a B anyway.”  
  
“Naruto’s got a point, Sakura,” a low voice whispered from behind them. Sakura turned to the dark-haired male sitting behind Naruto. “This class is such a drag. Seriously. The guy could bore the ANBU forces to death.”  
  
“Or the Hokage,” Naruto mumbled, causing the male behind him to snicker.  
  
“Naruto! Shikamaru!” The two teens quickly turned their attention to the front of the room where the brunet instructor was standing with his hands on his hips as he eyed the two that were disrupting his class. “How many times do I have to tell you two to pay attention?! That means shut up and start taking notes!”  
  
Naruto groaned lightly as Iruka turned back around to continue writing on the board. “I give up,” he mumbled, his eyes once again drifting out the window.  
  
Shikamaru mumbled an agreement and laid his head down on his desk as Sakura simply shook her head. “Boys.”  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, the bell finally rang to signal the end of class. Naruto wasted no time in leaping to his feet and pulling his bag over his shoulder. He glanced back behind him at the still sleeping Shikamaru and lightly smacked the spiky ponytail on top of the brunet’s head. “Hey, Shikamaru, class is over.”  
  
Shikamaru mumbled something along the lines of, “Screw you, five more minutes,” which made Naruto laugh lightly.  
  
“I’ll see you later, Naruto,” Sakura said as she gathered her books in her arms. “My mom wanted me to help out at the hospital today.”  
  
“Are you still helping that grouchy old nurse that works there?” Naruto asked.  
  
“Tsunade is not a ‘grouchy old nurse’,” Sakura retaliated. “She’s a good friend of my mom’s, and it’s a chance for me to see if nursing is what I really wanna do in college.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Naruto said, waving a hand at her. “I still say she’s a grouchy old lady. Anyway, I’ll see you Monday.”  
  
Sakura had adopted a frown at Naruto’s words, but her face softened as he turned to leave. “Have a good weekend,” she called after him.  
  
Naruto Uzumaki was a junior at the age of sixteen years old with a lean figure, spiky blond hair, and clear, bright blue eyes. His parents had died in a car crash when he was a child, leaving behind the blond and a trail of controversy surrounding the circumstances of their death. His teacher, Iruka Umino, was a close friend of the couple and wasted no time in taking the blond under his care. Naruto never asked about his parents, so Iruka never talked about them. A few years later, an older man who declared himself Naruto’s godfather appeared, proposing to take Naruto off of Iruka’s hands during the weekends. And so started Naruto’s routine of jumping houses at the end of the week.  
  
Today was no different as Naruto trudged along the sidewalk as he made his way to Iruka’s house. It was a Friday afternoon which meant that the rest of his day would consist of ramen, packing a bag for his weekend home, ramen, maybe squeezing in some homework, and probably some more ramen before leaving for his godfather’s house.  
  
Luckily, Iruka didn’t live too far from the school, so it only took a few minutes before Naruto was unlocking the door to his home and dragging himself through the doorway. He dropped his bag at the doorway, not bothering to hang it up like he knew he was supposed to…he’d just deal with the complaints from Iruka later. Right now, he needed ramen.  
  
The blond padded into the kitchen and opened the cabinet where he knew the pots were held. Nothing. “Wait…where are the pots?!” he dashed over to another cabinet only to come to the same dilemma. There wasn’t a single pot in the cabinets. “Why?” he whined, hanging his head in childish defeat.  
  
“Need some help, Naruto?” a familiar voice sounded behind him.  
  
Naruto whirled around to see Iruka smiling down at him, a fatherly gleam in his eyes. “I can’t find a pot,” he whined again. “I need ramen!”  
  
“Well,” Iruka sighed. “Maybe if you did the dishes every once in a while after you ate, you could find what you were looking for.” When Naruto continued to stare up at him, Iruka pointed to the sink that was almost overflowing with dirty dishes.  
  
“Oh,” Naruto said, turning his head away sheepishly. “Was it my turn for dishes last night?”  
  
“Mhm,” Iruka replied, straightening himself as he crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze suddenly shot to the direction of the front door as the doorbell rang. “Shoot,” the brunet said quietly, his arms dropping to his sides. “I forgot about Kakashi.”  
  
“Kakashi?” Naruto repeated. “You’re going out with Kakashi-sensei again?”  
  
Iruka wasn’t listening anymore, having taken to smoothing down the dark green dress shirt he had worn to school that day. Naruto rolled his eyes before heading over to the front door himself. He opened it just a crack and peered out at the newcomer.  
  
“Hello, Naruto,” the silver-haired male said as he lifted a hand in greeting. Kakashi was a fairly handsome man with spiky, silver hair and dark grey eyes, one of which was hidden behind a thick, black headband that pushed his bangs out of his face. He usually dressed in a professionally casual manner, tonight being no different with his white dress shirt and black slacks. Naruto knew him as one of the stricter teachers at Konoha High, though his personality sometimes came off as being a bit aloof. Despite that fact, the male was extremely kind and wouldn’t hesitate to help if someone asked for it. But that didn’t mean Naruto had to like the guy coming to his house.

Naruto returned the gesture with a pout. “What’re you doin’ here, Kakashi-sensei?”

Kakashi’s visible eyebrow rose only slightly at the teen before he smirked a bit. “Oh, you know. Just here to pick up the entertainment for tonight.”

“…Gross.”

Kakashi chuckled. “You’re the one that asked, Naruto. So, where is Iruka?”

“Here I am!” Iruka suddenly appeared as the door swung open completely. He had changed from the dark green shirt he was wearing previously, and now donned a navy blue dress shirt tucked neatly in khaki dress pants.

“Ah, there you are indeed,” Kakashi said, his eye closing as he smiled at the slightly younger brunet.

Iruka stepped out of the house and turned to Naruto before handing him a small wad of cash. “I know Jiraiya’s going to do something not smart, so here’s some extra money for food or whatever if you need it. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

Naruto stuffed the money in his pocket with a nod. “Yeah. I got it.”

Iruka ruffled Naruto spikes affectionately before turning to Kakashi. “Shall we, then?”

Kakashi threw an arm across Iruka’s shoulders and pulled him against his side. “Yes, let’s.”

“Get a room,” Naruto called before closing the door on the two men. He heard Kakashi shoot back a reply, but chose not to wonder what it was as he wandered back into the kitchen to clean the pot for his ramen. Twenty minutes later, the blond was quietly slurping noodles at the table as he worked on his homework, knowing that if he didn’t do the work now it was never going to get done.  
After he finished his meal, Naruto dumped the bowl in the now empty sink and headed up the stairs to pack his bag for Jiraiya’s. He had a few belongings that stayed in the spare room and bathroom of his godfather’s house, but he still packed enough clothes to last him multiple changes throughout the weekend. One final zip to close the bag and the blond was ready to go.

Naruto had closed the house door behind him and, after making sure it was locked, started the mile and a half long walk to Jiraiya’s house. Konoha was a fairly quiet city, surrounded by dense forest with only one main road in or out. The night owls of the city were just starting to awaken with some of the late-night bars and clubs switching on their neons to show that they were now open. Naruto’s mind had started to wander as he walked. As many times as he had made this same trip, something about this time felt…different to say the least. As if there was going to be some kind of life-changing experience. He was suddenly thrown off his thought process as he collided with something that sent him stumbling back.

“Ow…” Naruto complained, rubbing his nose. “Sorry about…that,” he trailed off as he became caught in the most beautiful onyx eyes he had ever seen. The owner of the eyes was another teen, probably not much older than the blond, with black hair that spiked in the back and trailed down to frame either side of his face. His lean frame was hidden underneath a dark blue T-shirt and white shorts, and Naruto found that he couldn’t help but stare…that is until the person spoke.

“Yeah, way to go, loser. Why don’t you do us both a favor and watch where you’re going next time?” And with that, the boy turned and walked away.

Naruto stood stunned. “What the…what the heck just happened?!” Okay sure, he hadn’t exactly been watching where he was going, but what right did that stranger have to insult him like that?! “So much for a life-changer,” Naruto mumbled to himself before continuing on his way.

In a nearby alley, the same black-haired boy watched Naruto walk away. He hadn’t meant to sound so arrogant, but it was the first reaction he could come up with. After all, he had just been minding his own business, taking a moment to watch the stars come out when someone bumped into him. He hadn’t thought too much of it at the time, thinking it was just some kid hyped up on sugar, but when he turned to look, he had become almost mesmerized by the bright shade of blue that stared up at him.

The male’s brooding was suddenly interrupted by a man walking up to him that looked eerily similar to the teen, with the main difference being the man’s hair tied in a low ponytail. “There you are, Sasuke,” the man gently scolded the teen. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Right, Itachi. You worried. That’s almost funny.”

Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke’s older brother, was five years older than Sasuke at twenty-two, and the younger’s legal guardian. Sasuke harbored more than just a sliver of negative feelings for his brother, and he didn’t seem to have any problems showing it. Itachi, on the other hand, was calm, cool, and collected. No matter what amount of sass Sasuke seemed to throw at him, he never seemed to lose himself. The older male sighed lightly at the younger’s comment, an action that one wouldn’t have even noticed unless they were literally on top of the male. He opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden human-shaped blur crashing into him cut him off. “Tobi!”

“Itachi! Why do you always wander off like that? Hm?” The newcomer finally noticed the shorter male and hopped in place before switching the target of his attachment. “Sasuke, give papa a hug!”

Sasuke immediately shoved the masked man away from him. “Go fuck yourself, Tobi,” he said coolly. The Uchiha brothers’ parents had died when Sasuke was in third grade in a massive train crash that had made the news headlines. A car had stalled on the tracks and the train was unable to stop on time, collided with the car, and derailed, rolling multiple times before coming into contact with a small electrical substation and bursting into flames. To say their deaths were brutal would be an understatement, and so the subject of parents was a sensitive subject to the Uchihas.

Itachi shot Tobi his own cool look, which only partially settled the other, before turning back to Sasuke. “Just come home soon. I don’t want to have to go looking for you.” The older brother turned to walk away, but not without smacking Tobi in the back of the head and whispering something harsh-sounding.

Sasuke turned and walked in the opposite direction, determined to go home on his own terms. And as he walked, he thought about his brother and the small group that he and Tobi were part of. The lot of them had been friends ever since middle school when they met at a school football game, and since then they had all been inseparable. Now that they were older, they had formed a band named after what they had named their group of friends: The Akatsuki. Besides Itachi and Tobi, there were seven other members of the band, all of which Sasuke knew all too well. Kisame was Itachi’s best friend and more than just a little cocky. He had black hair and pale skin and pearly white teeth that actually made Sasuke a little uncomfortable. Tobi was…unusual, to say the least. He always paraded around with an orange and black mask, and Sasuke couldn’t actually remember the last time he saw the guy’s real face. Deidara was a blond-haired, blue-eyed sculptor who was very proud of his art, and he never let anyone forget it, but he was for the most part tolerable. Sasori was decent as far as personality went, but he was extremely impatient and had an obsession with puppets that Sasuke didn’t want to think too much about. Kakuzu and Zetsu were the more quiet and tolerable ones of the group with Kakuzu always hiding under the hood of his hoodies and throwing out the occasional insult, while Zetsu was obsessed with plants. Konan was the only female member of the group and stuck to the side of a guy named Nagato who had shoulder-length red hair and lavender-colored eyes. The two of them were quiet and kept to themselves for the most part so Sasuke didn't really have anything against them either. Finally, there was Hidan. Now, as far as Sasuke was concerned, Hidan was crazy…end of story. The guy was completely obsessed with his religion but constantly complained about its standards and how much he hated that he had to abide by them. It made no sense at all and honestly pissed the entire group off to no end, but he was a pretty damn good guitar player, so they kept him around.

Before Sasuke had realized it, his feet had led him home. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed the necessary turns needed to get there. He heaved a heavy sigh and unlocked the front door, wasting no time in going to his room. Since it was Friday and Itachi had been out, he assumed they had some kind of gig or something and would be out until the early hours of the morning. Deidara had made a comment about how that was how they had come up with the name Akatsuki, but no one else had confirmed it, so Sasuke wasn’t sure just how much of that was true and how much was Deidara just being an asshole.

The teen quickly changed into his pajamas before plopping down onto his bed with a small groan. No matter how much he disliked his brother, he had to admit that Itachi’s people skills were leagues above his own…on a good day anyway. He closed his eyes sleepily before they flew open again as the image of a certain blond-haired male popped into his head. “The hell?” he mumbled to himself. It was odd for him to think of anyone other than his family, but for some reason, those crystalline blue eyes struck his soul. They had seemed so sad with a hint of something else Sasuke couldn’t place…loneliness maybe? His eyes narrowed before he buried his face in his pillow. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking this hard about a total stranger, let alone a stranger that was another guy. But he couldn’t help himself. He had to figure out who the other teen was. And his best bet would be on Monday when he started at Konoha High.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know how y'all like this!! If you _really_ wanna know what the original was like, you can search it, but I'm not gonna post it to here xD If this seems like it's really gonna take off again, I'll aim to post every 2 weeks or so (sooner if lucky, but I'm in school and work full time).


	2. The Night on the Town

**Chapter 2: The Night On the Town**

A groan escaped Naruto’s lips as he looked up at the two-story house in front of him. It was a beautiful home, made of red and rust-colored bricks and white, wood trim that lined the windows and doors. Multiple ceramic and stone toads decorated the lush, green lawn – a display of the resident’s favorite animal. And speaking of…

The blond finally raised a finger and pushed the doorbell, his ears picking up the sound of a female’s moans from inside. Naruto’s nose crinkled slightly, knowing full well that the sound was simply the resident’s notification someone was at the door. “Oh brother,” he sighed.

Moments later, the door opened to reveal a man in his 50s with long, unruly white hair pulled back into a ponytail and a red bathrobe pulled tight around his body. “Oh, hey, there, Naruto. Iruka off with Kakashi again?”

“Yeah,” Naruto mumbled, walking past the man and into the living room. “Hey, why do you have such a weird doorbell?”

A hearty laugh escaped the man. “Kid, it’s only weird to you because you’re so young and inexperienced. The great, Jiraiya on the other hand…”

“Forget I asked,” Naruto quickly turned away and headed for the stairs. “I'm heading to bed.”

“Already?” Jiraiya asked, his eyes widening slightly with confusion. “You’re usually up a lot later than this. You okay?”

“Mhm,” Naruto answered, taking a few steps up the stairs. “Fine.”

“I know you’re lying,” Jiraiya called after him, moving to stand at the bottom of the staircase. “You wanna come out with me to see the ladies?”

“I'm good,” Naruto said, waving a hand in dismissal of the offer before walking into his room and closing the door behind him. A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned his back against the door. His godfather was right…he _was _lying. Today had been a hell of a day, leaving the blond’s mental and physical state to suffer, though there didn’t seem to be a concrete reason behind any of it.

Naruto finally pushed himself off the door and moved over to his bed where he dropped the bag at his feet and collapsed stomach first onto the mattress. “Man, I'm tired.” The image of the dark-haired teen from earlier flickered across his mind, causing a cocked head and a thoughtful hum. “Wonder who that guy was?” Naruto wondered aloud as his legs came up to swing slightly over his back. Blond eyebrows suddenly knitted together in a frown. “Whoever he was, he’s a real jerk.” A knock at the door shifted the blond’s attention and he sat up before calling out.

Jiraiya’s face appeared in the now opened door. “Hey, kiddo. Last chance, you sure you don’t wanna come out?”

Naruto thought for a moment more before getting to his feet. “Okay, fine.” He hoped getting out would do something for his uncharacteristically sour mood so he resolved to follow Jiraiya out of the house to “see the town”.

* * *

Loud techno music boomed through the building as multicolored lights flashed, illuminating the hundreds of dancers in the room. Naruto was slouching on one side of the booth while Jiraiya was seated on the other side with four giggling, tipsy women gathered around him. The older man was halfway gone himself, his booming laughter able to be heard from three booths away. “Naruto…Naruto! Don’t you wanna come over here and get to know these girls better?”

“I think I’ll pass,” Naruto said, earning himself a handful of pouts and high-pitched whines from across the table. The reactions were enough to elicit an eye roll from the blond before he stood up from the booth.

“Hey,” Jiraiya called after the retreating teen. “Where ya goin’?”

“Outside,” Naruto called back. “I need some air.” Luckily, there was an exit nearby that he wasted no time slipping through after shouldering through the crowd.

The alley outside the club was cool and empty, a stark contrast to the air on the other side of the door. Naruto inhaled deeply and held it for a moment before slowly letting it out. Now that he was away from a scene that made his stomach tense, he realized just how hungry he was. A few steps had him out of the alley and into the main street where he got busy looking around for any kind of restaurant that hopefully wouldn’t be crawling with too many people. His eyes finally rested on a flashing ‘RAMEN’ sign a few feet away and, with a grin, he took off into the shop and settling himself at the counter. “Miso with pork, please,” he ordered before pulling out his phone and starting a random mobile game to pass the time.

“Naruto?”

Naruto’s head shot up at the voice and he turned to face the soft-spoken person he knew had called him. Just behind him stood a male about his age with red hair and seafoam green eyes neatly lined with black liner. The blond’s eyes lit up almost immediately. “Gaara!”

A small, serene smile appeared on Gaara’s face. “I thought that was you. Would you like some company?”

Naruto nodded and motioned to the seat next to him. “Sure! How ya been? I haven’t seen you in _ages_!”

Gaara hummed lightly in amusement. “It has been a while, hasn’t it? What brings you here?”

The blond grinned and nudged Gaara with his elbow. “I should be asking _you_ that. I thought you moved!”

“I did,” the redhead replied softly. “Temari is in town for a color guard competition.”

“Oh,” Naruto said, his voice dropping a bit. “So you’re just here for a few days then.”

It wasn’t a question, and Gaara seemed to pick up on the hint of disappointment in the other’s voice. Another small smile played at his lips as he gently laid his hand on Naruto’s arm. “I leave tomorrow, actually,” he explained, carefully examining Naruto’s face as his eyes drifted from Gaara’s hand to his face.

“That soon, huh.”

“We can go out tomorrow if you like," Gaara suggested. "We're not leaving for home until the evening."

Naruto instantly perked up, earning himself another smile. “Yeah! That’d be great!” A dull thump on the table alerted Naruto that his ramen had arrived, but he was too focused on the male next to him.

“Good.” Gaara gave Naruto’s hand a gentle squeeze before standing. “You’re at your godfather’s?”

Naruto nodded, his cheeks brushed with a light shade of pink. “Yeah, until Sunday.”

“I’ll pick you up at noon, then.”

“Sounds good,” the blonde said, a goofy grin plastered across his face. “I’ll see you then.” Gaara’s hand lingered a moment longer before he stepped away, leaving Naruto to his meal. The blond just couldn’t get rid of his newfound giddiness. He and Gaara had been met in middle school and, although they started out butting heads, they grew to be the best of friends. However, during the summer break before their freshman year of high school, Gaara and his family moved away to a town the next nation over. The move devastated Naruto who was just starting to come to terms with his growing feelings of attraction for his soft-spoken and placid friend.

Before Naruto knew it, his bowl was empty, and he was on his way back to Jiraiya’s house. The older man had texted Naruto saying he’d be home a little after midnight so, having set brand new plans for the following day, the teen decided to head home for the night.

The next day, Naruto spent the majority of the morning on his bed playing his handheld video game. Every now and then, his eyes would glance over to his phone, keeping an eye on both the time and for any new text alert. After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto’s phone finally lit up. The blond threw his handheld to the side, and dove for his phone, a grin spreading his face when he saw what he was waiting for. Then, after making sure he looked fairly decent, he dashed down the stairs and to the front door.

Jiraiya was sitting at the kitchen table and lifted his head curiously as the blond blur collided with the door. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Gaara,” Naruto breathed before swinging open the door. “See ya!”

Jiraiya simply smiled before looking back down at his work on the table. “Don’t stay out too late.”

Naruto didn’t hear his godfather as he slammed the door behind him and bolted to Gaara. The redhead was dressed in a red dress shirt and white slacks, which seriously made Naruto feel underdressed in his jeans and a black T-shirt. However, the moment the door closed, Gaara looked up from the phone in his hand and gave the blond the most heart-melting smile, and Naruto completely forgot about feeling less than presentable.

“Hey, Gaara!”

“Hello, Naruto. Are you ready to go?”

Naruto nodded and fell into step next to Gaara as the latter began walking down the street. “So where we going?”

Gaara silently glanced at Naruto before looking ahead again, the very edge of his lips tilted up ever so slightly.

“Hey, that’s not fair! Where’re we going?!”

“Be patient, Naruto,” Gaara said, not even trying to hide the amused undertone in his voice. Another glance showed the blond was now pouting with his arms crossed, so the redhead moved closer and lightly bumped his shoulder against Naruto’s. “I promise you’ll like it.”

Naruto’s eyes flickered to Gaara before he sighed and let his hands drop to his sides. “Fine.”

A few moments of walking later, the pair finally came to a stop. “We’re here,” Gaara announced.

Naruto looked up and his eyes immediately widened with excitement. “A bathhouse!”

Gaara hummed in affirmation before carefully taking Naruto’s hand in his. “Let’s go.”

After the pair checked in, Naruto allowed himself to be led throughout the bathhouse until they came to the changing room. The blond was naked in moments, leaving his shed clothing haphazardly hanging from a cubbyhole, while Gaara was more meticulous in his undressing and left his neatly folded clothing in another cubby.

“C’mon, Gaara! Hurry up!” Naruto was already halfway out of the dressing room, a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. Gaara’s eyes lingered on the towel for only an instant before he wrapped himself and followed Naruto out of the dressing room.

The bath outside was empty aside from the two newcomers, which was surprising for a Saturday. Naruto briefly wondered why, but the thought was quickly dismissed as he undid his towel and slowly lowered himself in the bath. A long, satisfied sigh left his lips as he leaned his back against the edge of the bath and closed his eyes. A light splash told him Gaara had entered as well and he opened one eye to look at his friend. “This is amazing…Thank you, Gaara.”

“No need to thank me, Naruto,” Gaara assured. “I was glad to just get the time to spend with you before I went back home.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, drawing out the word as he glanced to the side. “About that.”

“Hm?” Gaara turned his head so he could more fully look at the blond. “What is it?”

“Just…” Naruto shifted nervously under the water, sending small waves crashing into the male next to him. “I…well, I, um…Geez, why does this have to be so hard?!” He wanted to just come out with it, wanted to just tell Gaara how he felt about him. He wanted to explain just how much he cared for the redhead but was stupid slow in realizing his feelings so when he finally did realize, he had missed his chance to voice it. But for some reason, the words just wouldn’t come, so Naruto just threw his head back with a sigh. “Nothing. Nevermind.”

Gaara’s face softened sympathetically and he reached for Naruto’s shoulder. “I understand,” he said. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

The blond flashed an apologetic smile. “Yeah…yeah, okay.” The next couple of moments were filled only with the sound of the water lapping at the two bodies until Gaara broke the silence by asking what Naruto had been up to the past couple of years. Naruto, being Naruto, had completely forgotten about his confession and began chatting up a storm about any and everything he could think of that pertained to his life: Kakashi and Iruka starting to date, his classes being _so_ boring, what classes were his favorite, what classes he hated, how he was already a junior and Iruka wanted him to start looking at colleges, how he wasn’t even sure he _wanted_ to go to college…

Two hours had already passed by the time Naruto finally settled down. Gaara didn’t mind. He had listened intently, chipping in every now and then to encourage his friend to continue. But now, it was late enough in the afternoon that the two of them knew their time together was coming to a close. Gaara was the first to outwardly acknowledge the fact with a light sigh. “Naruto…”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, cutting him off as he stared at the water. “Yeah, I know.” One deep inhale later, a grin had replaced the troubled look on the blond’s face. “This was awesome, we gotta get together again sometime soon!”

Gaara chuckled softly before lightly pecking Naruto on the cheek. “Soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, sorry for the delay!! I got all kinds of caught up with school and work and I missed my self-given update deadline!! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the new chapter! This is actually a brand new addition to the story, so I hope it comes across well x3


	3. The New Student

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, sorry, all!! I know I said I would update every 2 weeks, and I SERIOUSLY fell behind...but I have a good reason!! I had finals at school and I JUST finished this past Friday. BUT, good news is that I passed the semester, so I should be updating right back on schedule for a while until the new semester starts. 
> 
> Anywho, I hope you guys all enjoy the new chapter!!!

**Chapter 3: The New Student**

Blue eyes drowsily blinked open as sunshine streamed through the curtains. It was Monday morning and Naruto was back at Iruka’s house for the school week. A small groan sounded from the blond’s throat as he rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head. “Maybe Iruka will let me skip school today…”

Right on cue, Naruto’s door creaked open and Iruka poked his head in. “Naruto, it’s time to get up. I'm heading out early, so make sure to eat breakfast, okay?”

Blond spikes popped out from under the pillow. “Wait what? Leaving early? Why?”

“Kakashi and I are going out to breakfast for his birthday,” Iruka explained.

Naruto’s nose crinkled slightly. “You two are joined at the hip.” Iruka grinned before he disappeared from the doorway, leaving Naruto to get ready.

* * *

The blaring of a phone alarm caused onyx eyes to narrow in annoyance before a finger swiped the alert away. Sasuke had already been awake for nearly an hour and was standing in front of a full-sized mirror as he dressed in his new school uniform. He glanced at the door as a knock sounded on the other side. There was no need to ask who it was; he already knew. “What?”

The door opened halfway to reveal Itachi leaning against the doorframe. The older brother seemed unusually disheveled in a pair of gray sweatpants and his usually tied up hair falling loosely to touch his shoulders. “Just making sure you’re up,” Itachi said softly. His lips suddenly tightened, and he turned his head and exhaled through his nose - a sign of a stifled yawn - before looking back to Sasuke.

“Of course, I'm up,” Sasuke snapped. “I don’t need you checking in on me.”

Itachi stared at his brother for a moment before pushing himself off the doorframe. “Breakfast is on the table,” he said before closing the door behind him.

Sasuke huffed lightly as he adjusted the necktie he had just put on. He knew by his brother’s appearance that Itachi must have just gotten up himself to cook breakfast for the two of them, but he couldn’t find the will to actually care. As far as he was concerned, it was all just part of the “big brother” act.

The younger Uchiha pulled on his shoes and headed out the door, plucking his backpack off a door hook on his way out. He passed the living room, ignoring Itachi who was lying across the couch cushions with one hand steadying a mug of coffee on his chest and the other draped across his face and stepped into the kitchen. There was a meal of toast, scrambled eggs, and grapefruit on the table, but Sasuke bypassed it to grab a granola bar out of the pantry instead.

“You need to eat more than that,” a drowsy voice called from the living room.

“Fuck off,” Sasuke muttered under his breath. He tore open the granola bar and took a bite as he made his way to the front door.

Itachi moved his arm slightly so it was no longer covering his eyes and frowned lightly at the teen that was halfway out the house. “Sasuke, I'm serious. You need to eat.”

Sasuke paused in the doorway, pointed at the granola bar hanging out of his mouth, then left, closing the door behind him.

Itachi made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan and dropped his arm over his face again.

* * *

Naruto stepped through the school doors way before the first bell was to sound and headed for his homeroom. He wasn’t usually early, but he also wasn’t a fan of being alone, so soon after Iruka had left with Kakashi, Naruto started the walk to school.

“Hey, Naruto.”

The blond looked up to see Shikamaru standing by the lockers with a heavier set brunet male and a girl with long, blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail. “Hey, guys,” Naruto greeted. His eyes wandered to the bag of potato chips that the other brunet was munching on and he cocked an eyebrow. “Choji, I thought you were told to lay off the junk food. You know you’re going to get fa—ow!” Blue eyes turned to glare at the spiky-haired brunet who shook his head sternly.

“What?” Choji asked after he swallowed his mouthful of food. “What was he going to say, Shikamaru?”

“Nothing,” Naruto said quickly, his face falling into a nervous grin. “Nevermind. So, what’s up?”

“There’s a new guy coming to our school!” Ino squealed. “And I hear he’s totally _hot_!”

“Really?” Naruto asked. “But we're already like a month into the school year.”

“I dunno,” Shikamaru groaned. “But the girls are going absolutely nuts and it’s giving me a headache. God, this is such a drag."

Naruto laughed and patted Shikamaru on the shoulder. “Well, maybe we’ll get lucky and this guy won’t be in our class.” A chorus of deafening squeals suddenly caught the group’s attention and they turned to see a crowd of mostly girls surrounding the main doors. “Wonder what that’s about.”

“Who cares,” came Shikamaru’s apathetic reply. “Let’s just get to class before—”

“It’s him!” Ino’s piercing squeal of excitement caused the three boys to flinch. “It’s the new guy!”

Naruto leaned past his friends so he could get a good look at whoever was squeezing through the giggling crowd, and his eyes widened as a familiar figure emerged. “No way.”

“What?” Choji stopped munching long enough to see what Naruto was staring at. “You know that guy?”

Ino whipped around almost immediately. “What?! Naruto, you _know_ that guy?! Introduce us!”

“Uh,” Naruto stammered, shifting his weight. “I don’t exactly know the guy. I just ran into him when I was at Pervy Sage’s this weekend.”

“He seems to know you,” Shikamaru chipped in, causing Naruto to look at him in confusion. Shikamaru sighed before pointing to the new student. “He’s coming this way.”

“Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!” Ino was practically hopping in excitement as the dark-haired teen approached the group.

There was a moment of awkward silence as blue eyes matched onyx for the second time and Naruto struggled to come up with something more intelligent to say than the last time they had met. “Uh…Hey.” Nice one.

The other teen’s mouth tilted slightly into a smirk. “Oh, look. It’s the loser.”

Naruto’s face immediately became defensive. “What did you just say to me?!”

“I called you a loser,” the newcomer repeated. “What, didn’t hear me the first two times?”

The blond’s fist clenched as he glared up at the other male. That last statement meant that Naruto wasn’t the only one who remembered their fateful encounter Friday night. “Oh, I heard you,” he growled. “I just wanted to see if you had the guts to say it a third time.”

Shikamaru stepped up to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Naruto, now’s not the time to do this. We gotta get to class.”

“Naruto. So that’s your name.”

Naruto had turned his eyes to Shikamaru, but they snapped back almost immediately. “Yeah, that’s right. Naruto Uzumaki. Who’re you?”

“Sasuke,” the other replied. “Sasuke Uchiha.”

“Sasuke Uchiha, huh? Well, listen, I don’t know what the hell your problem is, Uchiha, but from now on we’re rivals. Ya got me? Rivals!”

Sasuke’s smirk became more defined and he tilted his head slightly. “Not much of a rivalry,” he challenged.

“_What’d you just say_?!” Naruto took an offensive step forward only to be pulled back by Shikamaru and Choji.

“C’mon, man,” Shikamaru coaxed against the struggling blond. “He’s not worth your time!”

The blond stopped struggling for a moment before jerking himself out of his friends’ grasps. “Whatever,” he mumbled as he turned away. “Let’s go.”

Sasuke watched the group leave before turning to face the still gathered girls behind him. “Hey. Where’s the registration office?” He was answered by an abundance of overlapping voices, but he was able to decipher a general direction out of the commotion that he immediately turned to follow. There were a few complaining whines as he walked away, but he chose to ignore them, figuring he was better off just escaping to the office so he could actually get to class sometime before the day ended.

It took a few minutes of hall wandering, but Sasuke finally arrived at the office. He introduced himself to the student worker at the desk – some skinny, pale boy with short, black hair – and was directed to sit in a nearby chair until the principal could address him. It wasn’t long before a nearby door opened and a man in a brown suit with brown, spiky hair stepped out. His eyes rested on Sasuke briefly before he motioned the younger male to follow him. Sasuke stood and followed the principal into the small office the latter emerged from and stood by the door as the brunet sat behind a desk.

“So you’re Sasuke, huh?” the principal said, his eyes on a folder in front of him.

“Mhm.”

The brunet looked up and noticed Sasuke still by the door. “Please, sit down. I don’t bite.” Once the younger male sat at the other side of the desk, the principal folded his hands in front of him. “My name is Principal Yamato. Welcome to Konoha High. So, I see here you just moved to the area?”

“Not exactly,” Sasuke said, leaning back in his chair. “I was born at Konoha General, but my family has an estate just outside of the city so I was a student at KPA until just recently.”

Yamato hummed thoughtfully. “The Uchiha's private school, eh? It’s pretty late to be jumping from private schooling, don’t you think?”

“My brother has a band,” the teen said flatly. “We moved into city limits so he could pursue his ‘career’.”

“I see,” Yamato said, his voice holding a hint of humor as he turned his attention back to the documents on his desk. “Well, either way, we’re glad to have you. Your grades on the entrance exams were phenomenal. Let’s see here…We’re going to put you into class 2-B. That’s Iruka’s homeroom.” Yamato slid the papers back inside of the folder and flipped it closed before standing. “Shall we?”

Sasuke stood and silently trailed after Yamato as the latter left his office and proceeded through the main office. “I’ll be right back, Sai,” he called to the pale boy before he led Sasuke out and down the hall.

The next hall over, Naruto plopped into his chair, his face scrunched into a dramatic pout. “What’s that guy’s problem anyway?”

Shikamaru sighed and seated himself on his desk. “You weren’t exactly a model student yourself.”

Naruto leaned his head back so he could glare at Shikamaru. “Hey, whose side are you on?!”

“I'm just saying,” the brunet said, his eyebrows knitting together into a frown. “You both acted pretty stupidly out there.”

“_What?!_”

“Naruto, why are you being so loud?”

Naruto paused and turned to see Sakura setting her stuff down on her desk. “Oh, hey, Sakura.”

“Hey. What’s wrong?”

“Naruto’s already gotten into it with the new kid,” Shikamaru said.

“New kid?” Sakura repeated. “Oh yeah, I overheard Ino saying something about that. He’s supposed to be _really_ attractive.”

The blond huffed in protest and crossed his arms over his chest without another word as Iruka walked into the classroom and signaled everyone to take their seats.

“Good morning, everyone,” Iruka greeted. His greeting was returned with scattered mumbles to which he simply shook his head. “Okay, first item of business today—” A knock at the door cut Iruka off and all eyes turned to see what had caused the interruption.

Naruto was the first one to react when the door opened with a shocked, choking sound that sent him tumbling from his chair. The next was a sigh and the sound of Shikamaru’s head dropping onto his desk. The final reaction was a chorus of excited whispers and squeals as none other than Sasuke Uchiha walked into the room with Principal Yamato behind him.

“Principal Yamato,” Iruka addressed the principal with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

“I have a new student for you,” Yamato said, gesturing to Sasuke. “This is Sasuke Uchiha.”

“Good to have you, Sasuke,” Iruka said. “You can take the seat next to Sakura. Sakura, raise your hand please.”

The girl’s hand eagerly shot into the air, earning a smirk from Sasuke as he walked over and sat in the desk next to her.

Naruto used his desk to pull himself onto his knees and shot Sasuke the most disgruntled glare he could manage. Of course, it had no effect on the other male, but it did catch Iruka’s attention.

“Naruto, back into your seat,” the teacher instructed. He then turned back to Yamato. There was a long moment of eye contact between the two before Yamato turned and left the room. Iruka sighed lightly then turned back to his students. “So, as I was saying. The first item of business today…”

* * *

The morning seemed to drag on for Sasuke. Every class he had so far – Math, Literature, Science – they were all subjects he had already excelled at during his private school days. Now it was the lunch hour and the rest of his classmates had split themselves up into groups of food and chatter. Sasuke didn’t expect to be part of any group, especially not with it being his first day, and he honestly didn’t want to be. He just wanted to get through the rest of the school year without attracting too much attention to himself.

Too bad these two girls didn’t get the hint.

“So, Sasuke, where are you from?” the blonde girl from earlier was leaning on his desk and batting her pale eyes at him.

“Knock it off, Ino-Pig!” the other girl snapped. Sasuke remembered this one’s name was Sakura. “Sasuke obviously just wants to enjoy his lunch in peace!” She then turned her green eyes onto him. “So, what did you bring for lunch, Sasuke?”

“Seriously?!” Ino yelled. “Didn’t you just say that—“

Sasuke stood suddenly, causing the girls to quiet. “Excuse me,” he said before walking out of the classroom. Only the first day and Sasuke’s patience was shot. He wandered blindly down the hallway until a door marked with stairs caught his attention: the roof. The teen quickly slipped through the door and headed up the dark stairwell, taking the steps two at a time before he emerged through another door. His eyes instantly shut in reaction to the bright sunshine and he sighed in annoyance. At least it was quiet.

Naruto had seen Sasuke get up and leave Sakura and Ino and scoffed. “Look at him. Walking away like he’s better than all of us.”

“Pretty sure he only thinks he’s better than you,” Shikamaru mused as he picked at his lunch. “After all, we weren’t the ones who went off on him in the middle of the hallway for no reason.”

“Whatever, Shikamaru.” Naruto sat backwards in his chair and plucked a rice ball out of his friend’s bento, earning him a light glare. “That guy’s full of himself. That’s all there is to it.”

“You guys really think he’s that bad?”

Shikamaru and Naruto looked up to see Choji standing with a spiky-haired, brunet male in a black hoodie. Naruto frowned lightly and mumbled, “What d'you think, Kiba?”

“Dunno,” Kiba said, cocking his head. “He’s smart, I’ll give him that much.”

“He’s gonna need more than smarts to make it here,” Shikamaru said as he sipped his drink.

“Hey,” Naruto suddenly perked up and leaned more toward Shikamaru. “You’re student council president. Can’t you, like, switch him to a different class or something?”

Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow before shaking his head. “I don’t think it works that way. Besides, I'm _vice_-president. Being the actual president is too much work.”

Naruto groaned and rested his chin on the desk. “Thanks for nothing,” he mumbled.


	4. Better Than Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is wayyyy shorter than my usual...I've had the flu for a few days and it's taking a toll on my writing. Anyway, I hope you still enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 4: Better Than Me**

The end of the lunch period signaled the start of the next class: Home Economics. Naruto was sitting at his desk, his head leaning on one hand, as they waited for the teacher to come in. Blue eyes traveled to the seat on Sakura’s other side. Sasuke still hadn’t come back from…wherever it was he ran off to during lunch. Not that the blond cared. He just didn’t like how easily the other guy had blown off the girls…at least, that’s what he was telling himself.

Up on the roof, Sasuke had just finished his lunch and was gazing up at the passing clouds. His phone vibrated and he took it out to see a new text message.

_‘You didn’t eat much for breakfast. Make sure you eat lunch. -Nii-san’_

Sasuke groaned in annoyance and stuffed his phone back into his pocket as he got to his feet. He didn’t feel like gracing that man with a response and it looked like it was time for his next class anyway. So, after dusting himself off, Sasuke retraced his steps back to the classroom.

“Oh, Sasuke! Just in time!”

Sasuke’s hand hovered over the handle as he looked up at the approaching Iruka. “Hello, Iruka-sensei,” he greeted purely out of politeness.

“I guess it doesn’t make a very good impression when the teacher is late, huh?” Iruka laughed as he opened the door and motioned for Sasuke to enter.

Naruto noticed Sasuke walk in just seconds before Iruka, effectively defusing any attempts the other students had of bombarding their new classmate after lunch. The blond’s gaze followed Sasuke just until the other looked up then proceeded to stare out the window.

“Okay, guys,” Iruka started. “Time for a project!” Collective groans sounded throughout the room, earning a frustrated sigh from the brunet. “Anyway, you’re all going to be divided into groups of two. In these groups, you will have to complete a project in two parts. The first is to make a budget for a two-person household based on an income of $5000 a month. The second part is to write up an essay describing what your budget includes and why you chose the amounts you did. You’ll have two weeks to finish. Any questions?” There were a few unenthused mumbles, but no one spoke up, so Iruka continued. “Okay then, on to the groups. Kiba and Ino. Hinata and Sakura. Sasuke and Naruto.”

“_WHAT?!_” Naruto tore his eyes from the window and stared at Iruka in disbelief.

Iruka looked up and frowned lightly. “Is there a problem, Naruto?”

“You bet there is, Iruka-sensei!” Naruto responded as he got to his feet. “There is no way in_ hell_ I’d work with that…that jerk!”

Sasuke glanced over at Naruto and frowned. “What makes you think I’d want to work with you anyway, loser?”

“Say that again!” Naruto challenged, turning his attention onto Sasuke.

“Enough!” Iruka yelled, slamming his hands on his desk. “You two are a pair and that’s final! It looks like you both need a lesson in teamwork anyway! Now, sit down, Naruto!”

“But, Iruka-sensei—”

“Sit!”

Naruto reluctantly plopped back into his seat and crossed his arms tightly against his chest. It looked like he wasn’t going to be able to get out of this easily. Iruka finished pairing off the class and turned them loose to discuss their project. Naruto stubbornly remained in his seat, intent on focusing on anything but his new project partner.

Sasuke watched Naruto for a couple minutes before sighing when it seemed the blond wasn’t going to make this easy for either of them. So, being the seemingly bigger person, Sasuke stood and walked over to Naruto. “Hey.” The raven-haired teen noticed Naruto tense, but that was about all the reaction he received. “Look, you can’t ignore me forever,” Sasuke said, placing a hand on his hip.

“Watch me,” Naruto mumbled.

Sasuke sighed in annoyance and kicked the leg of the blond’s chair. The jolt seemed to finally catch Naruto’s attention and the latter turned to glare at Sasuke, earning a smirk from the other. “Told you.”

Naruto stood and slammed his hands on his desk. “Look, Sasuke, I don’t have any intention of working with you, got it? So get lost!”

“Naruto!” Iruka had heard the commotion and made his way to the two. “What’s going on over here?!”

Naruto averted his eyes and huffed lightly. “Nothing.”

Iruka frowned at Naruto before turning to Sasuke. “Sasuke?”

Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away as well. “Like the loser said. Nothing.”

Naruto turned an indignant glare onto Sasuke but didn’t say anything else. Iruka looked between the two of them before sighing and turning away. “Just make sure you two get the project done on time.”

Sasuke watched Iruka leave before turning back to Naruto who was now slouching in his seat, a pout plastered firmly on his face. The sight made Sasuke’s face soften slightly and he chuckled lightly. “Hey.” He reached a hand out and lightly smacked Naruto on the shoulder, earning himself a hateful blue-eyed glare. “Lighten up. It looks like we don’t have much of a choice in the matter, so let’s just get this project thing over with.”

Naruto huffed and turned his attention to the window. “Not a chance,” he mumbled.

Sasuke’s face fell only slightly as he crossed his arms. He had to admit, the blond’s stubbornness sure was admirable. “Naruto…” The sound of his name made Naruto instinctively turn to face Sasuke. He stared at the other for a moment before frowning lightly. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and let his hands drop to his sides. “What?”

Naruto grinned. “Well it’s just…you didn’t call me a loser that time.”

A small, startled sound left Sasuke’s throat before he looked away with a scoff. “Don’t dwell on it too much, knucklehead,” he mused. “I just can’t afford to let a dork like you ruin my perfect grade record.”

Naruto smirked and turned to face Sasuke more. “Oh, is that so?” he asked. “Then how do you suppose we do this?”

Sasuke looked back at Naruto before flashing a smirk of his own. “Gimme your phone.”

The blond blinked in confusion. “What? Why?”

“Just do it, loser.”

Naruto grumbled, but pulled out his phone anyway and handed it to Sasuke. The other teen typed away at it for a bit before handing it back to the blond. “There, I put my number in your phone. I’ll text you later about the project.” He had to resist laughing at the blank stare on Naruto’s face. Luckily, he didn’t have to fight very hard as the final bell rang. “See you later, knucklehead.”

Naruto watched Sasuke leave, a dumbfounded expression still on his face. For a moment, Sasuke seemed almost…_nice_. He looked down at this phone and brought up his new contact before stopping dead. “Sasuke, you bastard!!!”

There on his screen was a new number under the contact name “Better Than Me”.


	5. Dreams and Downers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, y'all get another chapter this week!! I haven't had much to do since I've been sick, but I'm finally on the mend! Still have a god awful cough, though...
> 
> Anyway, this chapter has just a smidge of NSFW material, so you have been forewarned. As always, enjoy the next chapter!

**Chapter 5: Dreams and Downers**

Fifteen minutes after leaving the school, Sasuke arrived at the house he and Itachi shared. He frowned as he approached the front door, his ears picking up the sound of a bassline that he assumed was coming from the basement. It seemed that the Akatsuki had band practice today.

Sasuke entered the house and threw his bag on the couch, his face set in a mild scowl as his feet made a beeline for the basement. Within moments, he was at the bottom of the basement stairs staring down the source of the noise. “You guys really have to do this now?” he yelled over the chords of instruments and vocals.

Itachi, who was in the very front as the lead singer, turned his eyes to Sasuke before raising a hand, signaling for the rest of the band to stop. “Sasuke, welcome home.”

Sasuke ignored the greeting and instead walked up onto the makeshift stage the band had built and over to where Kakuzu was sitting off to the side with a control panel. The hooded male cast a glare at the teen as the latter started fumbling with the controls. “Would you like to back off, kid?” Kakuzu rumbled.

“Shut up,” Sasuke replied as he adjusted a final setting. “The bassline was completely drowning out the rest of the band. Even an amateur could tell.”

“I told you so, Kakuzu!” a shirtless silver-haired male burst. “You never listen to me!”

“So what made you think today would be different?” Kakuzu countered.

“Enough,” Itachi spoke, silencing the others. “Thank you, Sasuke. We have a concert this weekend and that would have worked against us for sure.”

“Whatever,” Sasuke mumbled as he walked back to the stairs. “I just want to make sure you won't screw up the music and embarrass yourselves since I seem to be stuck with all of you in this stupid town.”

“Geez, Sasuke,” a blond-haired, blue-eyed male spoke up. “What went and crawled up your asshole?”

“Deidara, stop.” Itachi didn’t turn to look at the blond as he spoke but instead kept his eyes on his brother. There was a long moment of silence between the two before Sasuke huffed and went back upstairs. Itachi sighed and turned back to the band.

Konan, the only female, stepped up to him, her amber eyes narrowed slightly behind her blue bangs. “He’s getting worse, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” came Itachi’s reply.

“Someone really needs to teach that kid a lesson,” Deidara chimed in as he pulled a microphone off the stand next to him. “Just one real good ass beating. That’d show him.” When he looked up, he saw Itachi staring at him, the faintest hint of a frown on his face before he turned back to the front of the stage.

“Once more.”

* * *

Naruto sat on his bed, his fingers busily tapping away at the game on his phone. He misjudged his timing and failed the level and the blond tossed his phone to the side as his last life flickered away. It seemed like he’d been playing that stupid game for ages as he waited for Sasuke’s text message to no avail. Naruto wondered what was up...Hadn’t Sasuke said he’d text him later? How much later would he have to wait for Sasuke’s definition of later? What was the other teen doing right now? And when the hell had he become so obsessed with Sasuke in the first place? Naruto groaned and leaned back against his headboard. “Stupid Sasuke…”

“Well, that’s not very nice.”

Naruto stiffened and turned to face his closet where a figure stood leaning against the door. “Sasuke? What’re you doing here?”

Sasuke took a step forward and crossed his arms with a smirk. “What do you think?”

“Uh,” Naruto stammered. “The project…? How did you find out where I live?”

Sasuke hummed in amusement before he stepped over to the bed and leaned towards the blond. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Naruto instinctively leaned away from Sasuke, his face falling into a confused frown. “Well…not when you say it like that.”

Sasuke’s brows twitched in a threatened frown before he hopped onto the bed and gripped the headboard with both hands, effectively trapping Naruto between his arms, before lowering himself to straddle the blond. “What’s the matter, Naruto? It’s almost like you don’t want to be near me.”

The blond’s face flushed slightly as he moved his hands up to push on Sasuke’s chest. “Get off of me,” he grumbled. He suddenly frowned at the firm feeling underneath his fingertips and gave another gentle press.

Sasuke’s chest vibrated in a chuckle before he leaned his face close to Naruto’s ear. “Like what you feel?” he whispered. He punctuated his question with a gentle nibble at the blond’s collarbone, smirking at the sudden hitch in Naruto’s breathing.

Naruto tried his best to muster up a glare as Sasuke pulled away and met his eyes, but the best he could manage was a half-lidded stare. “What…what do you think you’re doing?” he breathed.

Sasuke responded by sliding his hands under Naruto’s shirt and lightly running his fingernails along the blond’s skin. Naruto shuddered against the touch then fell off into a light giggle as the other teen hit a particularly ticklish spot. The edge of Sasuke’s mouth twitched into a smile as his hands wandered down to Naruto’s waistline and began unbuttoning the blond’s pants. Naruto whimpered and moved his hands down to grab Sasuke’s.

The dark-haired teen glanced up and nuzzled Naruto’s cheek with his nose. “Sh,” he cooed in the other’s ear. “You’ll be okay. I promise.” He gently nudged Naruto’s hands away and finished unzipping the pants before taking the waistbands of both Naruto’s jeans and boxers and pulling them down to his thighs.

Naruto watched, his eyes wide with a combination of anticipation and anxiety, as Sasuke shifted, leaving gentle kisses down the blond’s body as he edged lower and lower. Onyx eyes met blue one final time before he opened his mouth, lowered his head, and—

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

Naruto yelped and tumbled ungracefully onto the carpet as his alarm clock blared to life. The whole thing had been a dream. But…a dream about Sasuke? That was so wrong. Or was it? Either way, Naruto wasn’t quite sure whether or not he had wanted the dream to continue…

There was a knock on the door just a moment before Iruka poked his head in. “Naruto, you awake? I heard a loud noise from up here. Oh…”

Naruto looked up, cocking an eyebrow at Iruka’s sudden silence. “Iruka-sensei? What’s wrong?”

Iruka averted his eyes and shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, nothing, Naruto. Nothing at all. Um…you might want to hop in the shower before you head out today.” And the brunet was closing the door behind him.

Naruto sat on the floor in a confused silence before glancing down to where Iruka’s focus had been. And that’s when he noticed the not so very subtle tenting in his boxers. He groaned and pulled his pillow off of his bed and screamed into it before dropping it onto his lap. Could this day get any worse?

* * *

Sasuke sat at his desk in the classroom as he waited for Naruto. He had fallen asleep soon after his brother’s band left and thus hadn’t texted the blond as he promised. It didn’t bother the teen too much, he’d just confront the blond about the project today.

“Mornin’, Naruto.”

Sasuke looked up to see Shikamaru walking over to Naruto. He frowned as Naruto lifted his head and simply smiled at the brunet in return. Something was off. Every other time Sasuke had seen Naruto, the latter had been nearly bouncing off the walls, his voice carrying throughout the room as he made his presence known. Today, though, Naruto seemed a little too calm, maybe even restrained. Sasuke hadn’t known him long, but there was a part of him that knew it wasn’t normal.

“Naruto,” Sasuke spoke up and raised his hand in greeting.

Naruto’s head immediately shot up, his face dusted a light pink before he took a step back. Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow and nudged Naruto’s shoulder with his own. “Hey, you feeling alright?” Naruto’s eyes darted from Sasuke to Shikamaru and back again before the blond turned and dashed back out of the classroom.

Sasuke’s frown remained plastered to his face as he stared at the door Naruto had disappeared through. Something was definitely off.

Meanwhile, Naruto had stopped and leaned heavily against the wall of the hallway, his chest rising and falling in pants as he tried to catch his breath. He hadn’t meant to overreact as he did, but after his dream, he couldn’t bear to face Sasuke. Not yet.

“Naruto?”

Naruto raised his head to see Kakashi step up to him. “Kakashi-sensei?”

“Hey.” Kakashi’s hands slipped into his pockets as he tilted his head slightly. “You seem a little depressed. Rough night?”

Naruto frowned slightly. “Did Iruka-sensei tell you something?”

Kakashi glanced to the side before sighing lightly. “Iruka…No, no he didn’t say anything. Not about you anyway.”

A single blond eyebrow rose in curiosity. “Not about me?” he repeated. “Y’know, Kakashi-sensei, speaking of depressed, you’re lookin’ a little bummed yourself.”

Kakashi’s uncovered eye widened in surprise before he chuckled. “You always were a little too curious,” he mused, placing a hand on Naruto’s head. “Aren’t you going to be late for class?”

Naruto, completely letting the subject change go over his head, brought his hands up to his head in a panic. “Oh no! You’re right! Iruka-sensei’s really gonna let me have it this time!”

Another chuckle left Kakashi as he watched Naruto spin on his heels and take off back in the direction of Iruka’s classroom. His face fell slightly before he turned and headed back down the hallway.

Naruto reached the classroom right as Iruka was beginning to close the door. The brunet paused and stepped to the side to let the blond into the room. “You’re late,” Iruka said, narrowing his eyes. Naruto paused and looked up at Iruka’s face. The brunet seemed, for lack of a better word, irritated which confused the blond. Sure, he was late again, but the look Iruka was giving him seemed harsher than usual.

The teen ducked his head and sheepishly slid past Iruka and over to his seat. He didn’t know what was wrong with the brunet, but he wasn’t going to push it any further. Instead, he slid further into his seat and tried to make himself seem as small as possible as Iruka addressed the room.

“Don’t forget about your project assignments,” Iruka said shortly. “I’m only going to tell you once more that you have two weeks to finish, and if you fail the assignment, you will fail this class.”

Scattered gasps and whispered broke out among the students as Iruka’s words sunk in. Naruto himself looked stunned at his brother figure’s hostility. After all, Iruka had seemed fine when they were at home earlier in the morning. What possibly could have happened in the couple hours between then and now?

Sasuke’s only reaction was a small “hmph” as he rested his chin on his palm. It seemed the announcement was a bit out of character for the homeroom teacher. He stole a glance at the still sulking Naruto who had now taken to staring out of the window. Sasuke didn’t want to admit it, but seeing the blond in such a downed state made him feel a bit uneasy.

“Okay, that’s all.” Iruka had wrapped up his speech and crossed his arms as he turned away from the students and headed toward the door. “Report to the gymnasium for your next class immediately.”

Naruto sighed as Iruka left the room and dropped his head onto his desk. “That was scary.”

“Iruka-sensei’s really in a bad mood today, isn’t he?” Shikamaru asked, walking around to perch himself on Naruto’s desk.

Naruto lifted his head to make room for his friend and leaned back in his seat. “Yeah,” he said simply.

“Any idea what could have happened?”

Naruto shook his head. “He seemed fine at home this morning. I dunno what’s gotten into him.”

“Naruto! Shikamaru!” The boys lifted their heads to see Sakura, Ino, and Choji standing near the door with Sakura waving the two of them down. “C’mon, guys, we’re going to be late!”

Ino whined and hopped past Choji and out of the door. “Hurry up,” she coaxed. “Sasuke’s probably already down there!” Ino’s statement was enough to catch Sakura’s attention and soon the two girls were dashing down the hall, leaving their friends behind.

Choji watched them go before turning back to the males that were still watching from inside the classroom. “I dunno what it is about that new guy they like so much,” he muttered.

“Ditto,” Shikamaru and Naruto agreed before Shikamaru hopped off of Naruto’s desk and turned to the blond. “Come on, Naruto. We better get going, too.”

“Yeah,” Naruto agreed softly before he got up as well and followed the brunets out of the classroom.


	6. If You Can Dodge a Wrench...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you get this chapter title's reference, you know where this is going. Have fun.

**Chapter 6: If You Can Dodge A Wrench...**

Sasuke silently pulled his shirt off as he glared at the ground. It was now time for P.E. and the class was busy changing into their appropriate activewear. He stole his third glance around the room, his glare intensifying when he didn’t see what it was he wanted.

A couple more minutes passed before Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji entered the locker room. Naruto wasted no time in shedding his uniform’s jacket and tie, even before he reached his locker, earning a sigh from Shikamaru. “Can’t even wait until you get to your spot?” the brunet asked as he kicked off his shoes.

Naruto grinned and wiggled his way into a tight, black tank top before exchanging his pants for a pair of bright orange shorts. “Well, taking our time isn’t going to save us from whatever Guy-sensei has planned for us today.”

This time it was Choji’s turn to sigh. “Maybe he’ll take it easy on us today,” he said hopefully.

Sasuke watched the exchange between the three friends, having already changed into a gray tank top and black shorts. His dark eyes lingered on Shikamaru before he turned away to leave the locker room. He didn’t know why, but seeing Naruto with the two of them, especially Shikamaru, irked him. He had been ready to approach Naruto about his muted behavior when the spiky-haired brunet had the audacity to actually sit himself on Naruto’s desk…and the blond let him! Thinking about it now, the two of them seemed to be on very friendly terms which shouldn’t have bothered Sasuke being the newest student in the class and all, but it did. It really did.

Naruto waited until his two friends were finished changing and the three of them made their way out to the gymnasium floor. The rest of the students had already gathered, including Sasuke, when Guy approached them. The raven-haired teen took one look at the bowl-type haircut and huge, bushy eyebrows and had to resist groaning. Something told him this was going to be torture.

“Alright, kiddos!” Guy spoke loudly, hands planted firmly on his hips. “Today we’re going to be partaking in a physical education pastime. This exercise is going to put your discipline, resolve, and instincts to the test, which shouldn’t be a problem as the power of youth flows strongly among you all!”

Sasuke stared, unable to keep the look of pure dread from taking over his face. Yup, torture.

Guy had stepped away to the supply closet but when he returned, he was pushing a cart loaded with large, rubber balls. Collective groans sounded among the students as Guy picked one up and tucked it under his arm and flashed the group a thumbs up and bright grin. “That’s right! We’re going to play dodgeball! I’ll split you up into two teams and we’ll get started immediately!”

The Uchiha’s eyes scanned the floor for Naruto once again, finally spotting him with Shikamaru and Choji. Of course he was. Sasuke looked up as Guy stopped in front of him and leaned down slightly. “You must be the new kid,” he said, his tone holding nothing but interest. “I heard from Kakashi that the higher-ups really have high expectations for you. Well then, I expect nothing but pure determination from you, young man!”

Sasuke blinked, his feeling of dread almost suffocating by this point. “Uh…thanks.”

“You bet!” Guy exclaimed, throwing out another thumbs up. “You’ll be on Team 2 over there. Good luck!”

Sasuke sighed lightly as Guy wandered off to split the rest of the tortured souls into their teams and made his way over to where his team had gathered.

“Man, this is such a drag. Right, Sasuke?”

Sasuke stiffened slightly and lifted his head to eye Shikamaru. The brunet looked bored out of his mind with his hands in his pockets and his head thrown back as he sighed heavily. Sasuke frowned and muttered an agreement as he turned away. There was literally nothing wrong with the guy, he was just your typical genius high school student, but Sasuke still didn’t like him. And he didn’t care that he didn’t even know why.

Naruto was placed on Team 1 with Kiba, Hinata, and Ino which he didn’t really mind. The four of them stood on the far side of the gymnasium, huddled together as they discussed their strategy for the game.

“Okay,” Ino was saying. “Shikamaru’s going to be our real problem here. He may seem lazy and uninterested, but he probably already has this game planned out to the very last move.”

Kiba laughed and placed a hand on his hip, his face slipping into a determined smile. “Who the hell cares? This is a game of brawn, not brains. We’ll cream those guys, no sweat!”

Naruto shared his own laugh as Ino frowned at Kiba. “You tell her, Kiba. Let’s go get ‘em!” Kiba nodded and the team turned to line themselves up on the opposite side of the other team. The blond felt a gentle pat on his shoulder and turned to see Hinata giving him a sweet smile.

“Good luck, Naruto,” she said softly before turning and retreating to her position.

Naruto flashed a thumbs up at Hinata before turning to face the other team. He didn’t know what kind of celestial being he had irritated, but they seemed to enjoy putting him in situations that just threw his emotional state into overdrive...such as the present moment when he and Sasuke locked eyes.

The raven-haired teen didn’t move, keeping his eyes on Naruto as he tried to search for…something. Something that may have given him a clue to Naruto’s weird behavior that morning. However, as Guy blew his whistle, Sasuke tore his eyes away from the blond, still without an answer.

The gymnasium was suddenly filled with projectile balls as the students began throwing them at each other, some with way more force than was probably necessary. Sasuke tried to stay in the background, only throwing balls that had missed their targets and rolled to his feet. Within a few moments, his team had taken out Hinata and Ino which left Naruto and Kiba to dash around their side of the gym as they tried to stay in the game.

Naruto and his team had managed to eliminate Shino, Choji, and Sakura before their team got compromised, leaving just Shikamaru and Sasuke as their opponents. Guy was on the sidelines, cheering obnoxiously for both teams, not really caring who won as long as the students were having fun. Kiba picked up a ball and launched it toward Sasuke who quickly stepped to the side to avoid the meteor-like projectile.

Shikamaru sighed heavily, earning himself a glimpse from Sasuke. “This game is so pointless,” he complained. “What do you say to just giving up?”

Sasuke turned to Shikamaru with a frown. “What, seriously? You’re ready to give up just because you’re bored?”

“Look,” the brunet sighed, “I don’t really feel like getting pummeled today, got it? You can keep on if you want, but I'm done.” He started to walk away before a yell from the other side of the gym caught his attention.

“Hey, where d’you think you’re goin’?!” Kiba yelled at Shikamaru as he pointed accusingly. “We’re not even close to being done!”

“Yeah!” Naruto agreed, stepping up beside Kiba. “We’re gonna take you guys down!”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes before turning away from the other two. “Yeah, I’m done, too.”

“Wait a minute!” Kiba was yelling again, his focus on Sasuke this time as he ran up to the half-court line and pulled his arm back to launch a ball. “Don’t you turn your back on us!” Sasuke hmphed and began to follow Shikamaru towards the sidelines when Naruto’s voice stopped him.

“Wah! Kiba, don’t! Sasuke!”

Sasuke paused and turned to look back at the two in time to see Kiba’s dodgeball flying at his face…and he had no time to respond. The projectile slammed into him, a wave of dizziness instantly hitting the male and causing him to lose his balance. Sasuke failed to catch himself in time and his head slammed into the ground, leaving him unconscious.

“Sasuke!” Naruto bolted forward as Guy blew his whistle and rushed to their side.

“Step back,” the man commanded, reaching an arm in front of Naruto to prevent him from touching Sasuke. “He needs to be kept still until we can move him safely.” He pulled a walkie talkie off his waistband and brought it to his mouth. “Guy to Shizune. We have a situation in the gymnasium. Requesting help immediately.

_“Got it, Guy,” _a voice crackled from the walkie talkie. _“I’ll be there immediately.”_

Guy looked up to the rest of the students and flashed a thumbs up. “Everything will be okay here, kids. You all just head back to homeroom and I’ll take care of this one.”

Concerned whispers sounded through the students, but they obediently dispersed back to the locker rooms, leaving just Guy, an unconscious Sasuke, and a concerned Naruto to wait for Shizune. The black-haired female appeared a couple moments later and knelt down next to Sasuke, feeling his pulses and checking his breathing before looking up at Guy. “He’s stable but we should probably get him to the hospital just to be safe.”

Naruto groaned lightly as he knelt down. “Is he gonna be okay, Guy-sensei?”

“I'm sure he’ll be just fine, Naruto,” Guy assured. “You run along and get back to the classroom. We’ll take care of things here.”

The blond hesitated, his eyes hovering on Sasuke’s face for a moment longer before he got to his feet and trudged back to the locker room.

* * *

Itachi sat on his couch with a mug of hot tea on the coffee table in front of him. One hand supported his head as he leaned on it while the other held a book that currently held his interest. It was barely 11 am and besides taking a moment for breakfast and to tidy up the house, Itachi had been glued to the couch. Sasuke, once again, refused to eat the breakfast he made for him which didn’t necessarily surprise Itachi at this point, but it bothered him more than he liked to show.

His phone buzzing on the table alerted him to an incoming call and he closed his book so he could lean forward and pick up the device. “Hello?”

_“Good morning,”_ a female voice answered. _“This is Tsunade Senju at Konoha General Hospital. May I please speak to the parent or legal guardian of Sasuke Uchiha?”_

Itachi’s face immediately fell into a frown. “This is Itachi Uchiha. I'm his elder brother.”

_“Mr. Uchiha, I'm afraid Sasuke had an accident while at school today. He—”_

“Accident?” Itachi repeated. “What kind of accident? Is he alright?”

_“He sustained a minor head injury,”_ Tsunade explained, _“but his injuries do not seem to be life-threatening and he is in stable condition at this time. I would like to ask you to come down to the hospital to see him.”_

“Of course,” Itachi answered immediately, already on his feet and heading toward the front door to pull on his shoes. “I should be there within the next fifteen minutes.”

_“Fantastic. We’ll see you soon.”_

Itachi ended the call with a glare at the phone. Of course, Sasuke would be hurt on the second day of school. It just simply added to the string of bad luck the older male had stumbled into recently. The Uchiha grabbed his car keys off a hook by the front door and stepped out of the house.

It took about ten minutes to get to the hospital once Itachi had decided that traffic laws were simply guidelines at the moment. He quickly found a space to park the car and once he cut the engine, he was out of the car and practically jogging to the hospital doors. Once he introduced himself at the front desk, he was directed to Sasuke’s room on the second floor and wasted no time in getting there. Itachi opened the door, his eyes immediately honing on a blond woman hovering over Sasuke’s bedside. He cleared his throat, attracting the woman’s attention and stepped into the room. “Who are you?” he asked pointedly.

“Oh, calm down,” the woman half grumbled, her eyes narrowing at the older brother. “You must be Itachi. I'm Tsunade, the one who called you about Sasuke.”

Itachi’s face softened only slightly. “I see. How is he?”

Tsunade turned to look at Sasuke and sighed lightly. “He’s stable, but he still hasn’t regained consciousness. I recommend he stay here at least one more night.”

“Whatever you feel is necessary,” Itachi replied, stepping up to the bed.

Tsunade’s face softened into a small smile and she turned to leave the room. “I’ll leave you with him for a bit. Just let us know when you leave.”

Itachi didn’t respond, keeping his eyes on Sasuke’s face until he heard the door to the room close again. He then sighed, letting his face relax to express the feeling of overwhelming concern that was rushing over him. There was a large, dark red area that covered Sasuke’s nose and left cheek that Itachi suspected would turn into a bruise later. A small remnant of dried blood lined the teen’s left nostril where it seemed his nose had been bleeding earlier. The older brother raised a hand and placed it on Sasuke’s head, gently petting the soft, dark hair a few times. He paused as Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed slightly before he groaned and opened his eyes a sliver.

“Sasuke…Are you alright?”

Sasuke’s head turned slowly to face Itachi, a look of mild confusion on his face before his features harshened. The younger Uchiha quickly smacked Itachi’s hand away and bolted upright, bringing a hand to his head as a wave of nausea overcame him.

“Don’t move too much,” Itachi said, letting his hand drop to his side.

“What’re you doing here, Itachi?” Sasuke spat as he pressed the heel of his palm into his head to try and ease the pounding in his skull.

“I was called and told you were admitted into the hospital,” Itachi explained.

The look of bemusement was back on Sasuke’s face and his hand lowered slightly as he looked around his surroundings for the first time. “What the…what am I doing here?”

“An accident at school apparently,” Itachi replied, crossing his arms. “What happened?”

Sasuke scoffed. “Like it’s any of your concern.”

Itachi’s hands dropped to his side and balled into fists as his eyes narrowed. “Sasuke, I'm your brother, that makes it my concern.”

The younger male turned his own glare onto his brother before averting his eyes again. “Whatever.”

“What is your problem?” Itachi snapped, his voice rising slightly. He was trying to control his temper, but the situation was testing his patience to no end.

“My problem is you,” Sasuke retorted, crossing his arms. “You and that hovering of yours like you actually give a damn about anyone but yourself.”

“I do give a damn about you!”

“Right,” Sasuke mumbled. “Just like you cared about our family. And Shisui.”

Itachi’s breath caught in his throat before his face darkened into one of restrained anger. “Don’t you dare talk about Shisui,” he growled. “He has nothing to do with this.” Then after a heartbeat, he turned to the door. “You’re staying here for the night. I’ll be back for you tomorrow.” And he was out of the room.

Sasuke watched the door close then laid back down and rolled onto his side, closing his eyes as he tried to go back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, the end of this chapter gets me every time. That was a low blow, Sasuke. A really low blow.


	7. Meeting the Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, yay!! I think this one is one of my favorites so far...
> 
> Also, just so y'all are aware, school starts for me again tomorrow, so my weekly updates (however brief they were) will go back to biweekly for the next few months. I hope you guys can bear with me ^-^  
~yukipup

**Chapter 7: Meeting the Brother**

Sasuke sat in a black gaming chair, a disinterested look on his face as he went through the motions of playing the fantasy-based, first-person shooter on the screen in front of him.

_“Hey, Sasuke, you wanna like jump in or something? I'm getting killed over here!”_

The teen rolled his eyes as the voice sounded in his headset and moved the microphone so it hovered by his lips. “You wouldn’t be getting killed if you actually followed my plan, Suigetsu.” There was an unintelligible mumble from Suigetsu’s end followed by a female’s voice.

_“Suigetsu! You better keep your mouth shut! Sasuke knows just how to get through this! Isn’t that right, Sasuke~?”_ The female’s voice changed from abrasive to sweet as she addressed Sasuke.

Sasuke’s eyes flashed to the female avatar that just joined his own and smirked. “Glad you could join us, Karin.”

_“Oh great,” _Suigetsu groaned. _“You’re here? How long have you been creeping over us anyway?”_

_“Long enough,” _a deeper voice said as a tank of a character appeared just in front of Sasuke’s.

Suigetsu sighed. _“Jugo, too?”_

“Hey,” Sasuke spoke up, silencing the others. “Let’s just hurry up and get this mission over with. I have a project to do.”

_“Abrasive as ever,” _Suigetsu mumbled.

_“You got it, Sasuke~!”_ Karin agreed.

_“Of course, Sasuke,” _Jugo said.

Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo were three of Sasuke’s closest friends and the four of them often joined up to play games online together. The four had hit it off almost instantly a couple years prior during a private summer education event that was geared toward helping students decide if they were fit for a science-based career. Karin was a redhead with fierce, red eyes, a spunky personality and a soft spot for Sasuke. Jugo was a largely built teen with orange hair and eyes and a gentle heart that showed mostly when he was around animals. However, he also had a bit of a split personality and could snap on anyone if he was pushed too far, the only exception being Sasuke who seemed to be able to diffuse his temper in an instant. Suigetsu was a slender teen with violet eyes and white hair and was the only one that didn’t immediately fall to follow Sasuke. But after a few days of talking to the Uchiha, Suigetsu decided that Sasuke wasn’t all bad and tagged along.

Sasuke led his in-game team through corridors filled with enemy fire and strange beast creatures that attacked relentlessly the moment a player was in their sights. Once in battle, Jugo had his character in front, taking charge of the first enemies on the front lines before Sasuke and Suigetsu had their avatars move in to take out the remainder of the enemies. Karin was the healer of the group and primarily focused on making sure her team members stayed in the battle, though sometimes she could get a little too carried away with her attention on Sasuke. A little over an hour after they started, the team came to a room blocked by large, wooden double doors.

_“Looks like we made it,”_ Suigetsu said. _“About time.”_

_“We would’ve made it faster if _someone_ hadn’t kept letting their health drop into the critical range!” _Karin snapped.

_“Hey!” _Suigetsu retaliated. _“Maybe if you had focused less time obsessing over Sasuke, it wouldn’t have gotten into the critical range so often!”_

There was a moment of flustered sputtering from Karin before her and Suigetsu broke off into a heated argument that no longer had anything to do with the game. Sasuke ignored them and had his character move forward and open the doors, triggering a “Quest Complete” banner across the screen.

_“Nice job, Sasuke,”_ Jugo congratulated over Karin and Suigestu’s squabbling.

“Thanks for the help,” Sasuke said, leaning back into his chair. “I'm heading off, now. I have things to do.”

_“Enjoy your day, Sasuke.”_

Suigetsu and Karin were still going at it, so Sasuke simply sighed and shut down his game before pulling off his headset. He tapped the screen on his phone to check the time then leaned his head back to rest on the chair. It was just a few minutes past noon on Friday afternoon. Itachi had all but forced the teen to stay home since the dodgeball incident earlier in the week, leaving Sasuke to do pretty much whatever he felt like…as long as he didn’t leave the house. Sasuke frowned. Normally, he wouldn’t have been so quick to listen to Itachi, but his older brother had pulled a fast one on him and asked Kisame to stay at the house for a few days.

Sasuke wasn’t necessarily scared of the pale man, but Kisame was a personal trainer and had voiced on more than one occasion that he wasn’t afraid to break one or both of Sasuke’s legs to keep him at the house. Sasuke knew it wasn’t simply an empty threat so he was stuck, cooped up in his room with not much else to do except complete quest missions with his friends. “Guess I could actually get started on the project,” he mumbled, sitting up in his chair so he could grab his phone. He brought up Naruto’s contact information – saved under “Loser” – and typed up a text that he sent a moment later.

_‘Hey. Project’s due next week. We should get it started.’_ A few minutes passed before his phone vibrated with an answering text.

_‘NO SHIT, ASSHOLE. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!’_

Sasuke couldn’t help but chuckle. _‘My dick of a brother has me on house arrest,’_ he typed.

_‘Oh,’_ came the response. Then, _‘We can work on it at your house.’_

Sasuke pondered this for a moment before typing an agreement followed by directions to his house. At least something productive would come out of this day. The teen pushed himself out of his chair and wandered over to his door and left his room, turning down the hall to enter the living room.

Kisame was busy doing pushups on the floor of the living room while Itachi lied on the couch nearby, his eyes focused on a book, as usual. At the sight of Sasuke, though, Kisame pushed himself onto his knees and Itachi closed his book and sat up. “Sasuke,” Itachi said, his eyes looking his brother over for any sign of weakness or fatigue. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Sasuke said shortly, turning to the kitchen.

“You know, you should show your brother a little respect,” Kisame said, getting to his feet and taking a couple steps toward Sasuke. “He’s done a lot for your ungrateful little ass.”

“Like keep me prisoner?” Sasuke said. “Oh yeah, he’s a saint.”

“You’re not a prisoner, Sasuke,” Itachi said with a small sigh. “You need to recover from your injuries.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to reply but Kisame cleared his throat, his dark eyes narrowing threateningly at the teen. “Whatever,” he said, moving to pull a bag of chips from the cupboard. “I have a classmate coming over,” he informed as he walked back towards his room. “For a project.”

“Alright,” Itachi said simply as he laid back again and reopened his book. “I’ll let you know when they’re here.”

Sasuke hummed a response as he turned the corner to the hall that led back to his room.

Kisame huffed and turned to face Itachi. “You’re much too soft on the boy, Itachi,” he critiqued. “Deidara’s right. He needs his ass kicked.”

“And what would that serve to do except drive him further away?” Itachi responded, never once looking up from his reading.

A short laugh left Kisame as he dropped to resume his pushups. “Much too soft,” he repeated.

* * *

Naruto pulled his backpack over his shoulder as the final bell rang. It was noon which meant classes were over for the day. A vibration in his back pocket made him pull out his phone and he frowned when he saw who it was from…He’d have to remember to change that contact name to something less infuriating later. The blond typed an aggressive response before he sighed and stuck his phone back in his pocket.

Next to him, Sakura sighed sadly and lowered her head. “Where could he be?” she whined to herself.

“What’s the matter, Sakura?” Naruto asked, poking her shoulder with his finger. “You’re usually so excited about Friday.”

“Sasuke’s been gone all week,” the pinkette complained. “It’s just not fair.”

“Oh,” Naruto said flatly, his arms crossing against his chest. “That’s all.”

“What do you mean ‘that’s all’?!” Sakura said, turning a frown onto Naruto.

“Nothing, nothing,” Naruto replied, pulling his phone out of his pocket as it vibrated again. He typed another response and tucked the phone away. No way he was telling Sakura about this. “You going to the hospital again today?”

Sakura’s face quickly changed. “No, Tsunade is away at a conference this weekend with a colleague so I have the day off. Actually, Ino, Hinata, and I have plans tonight.”

“Sounds fun,” Naruto said though is face clearly said otherwise. “Well, I'm gonna head out. I gotta get my stuff ready for Pervy Sage’s.”

“Why do you always call him that?” Sakura asked. “It sounds so disrespectful.”

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. “Trust me, you wouldn’t think that if you spent ten minutes with the man.”

“It’s true,” Shikamaru chimed in from his seat. “Jiraiya’s a weird one.”

The blond gave Sakura a pointed look before turning back to Shikamaru. “You heading home, too?”

“Nah,” Shikamaru sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Student Council is meeting today and everyone’s required to be there today. It’s so troublesome.” As if on cue, a female second year from another class poked her head into the classroom.

“Vice President Nara! President Hyuga says we’re ready to start!”

Shikamaru groaned as he got to his feet. “That’s my cue. Later.”

Naruto and Sakura waved to Shikamaru before the blond turned to her. “See ya later, Sakura. Have fun with your girl’s night or whatever.”

“Bye, Naruto!”

Naruto made his way to Iruka’s to get his things together before heading to Sasuke’s. The other teen had sent him his address and once he put it into his phone, he realized it was only a block from Jiraiya’s which made things super convenient.

The blond stepped up to his house, noticing pretty quickly that Iruka’s car was already in the driveway. “That’s weird,” he said, his eyebrows knitting together into a frown. “Iruka usually stays after with Kakashi for a bit on Fridays.” He hummed before entering the house, spotting Iruka on the couch with some kind of documentary playing on the TV in the background. “Hey, Iruka,” Naruto greeted, hanging his backpack on the door hook. “What’re you doing home already?”

Iruka looked up and gave Naruto a small smile. “Just wanted some quiet time,” the brunet said, turning back to the television, though Naruto noticed his eyes were a little unfocused.

“Okay,” Naruto said, dragging out the word. “I'm heading out for Jiraiya’s early today. Do you need anything?” Iruka shook his head gently so Naruto just made his way up the stairs to get his things together. It didn’t take long and he was on his way out the front door again after saying goodbye to Iruka.

Sasuke’s house was the block before Jiraiya’s and Naruto blinked as he realized how many times he must have walked by it, though he’d never noticed the sleek, black car that was sitting in the driveway before. Naruto stepped up to the door and knocked hesitantly before stepping back to observe the gray, marble-colored bricks that made up the house. He had to admit, by the look of the car and the house, it looked like Sasuke’s parents had it made.

The door opened a moment later to reveal a man that looked just like Sasuke, his dark hair pulled into a low ponytail that allowed his bangs to frame his face and his body dressed in a loose black T-shirt and navy jeans. Naruto stared up at him and blinked, the only sound from him being an undignified “Uh…” This was like déjà vu.

“You must be the friend Sasuke is expecting,” the man said. Naruto could have melted at the smoothness of his voice. The blond nodded, eliciting a soft smile from the Sasuke look-alike as he stepped to the side. “Come in.”

Naruto crossed into the house and looked around as the door was closed behind him. The front door led into the living room which was painted a soft cream color with maroon coloring the trim along the floor. Just inside the door was a square section of white tile where multiple pairs of shoes were lined up nicely along the wall. Beyond the tile was plush, cream-colored carpet that Naruto thought looked almost nice enough to sleep on. Two small chandeliers hung from the ceiling in the living room, the sun from the windows reflecting on their glass parts to send tiny rainbow-colored shimmers across the room. A long, light gray couch ran along the wall closest to the door and a large screen TV sat mounted on the wall on the other side of the room. Two glass bookshelves sat against the adjacent wall, loaded with various books and movies. Naruto blinked in awe, feeling out of place in the extravagant home.

“Are you alright?”

Naruto jumped at the voice and turned to face the man that had let him in. “Uh…yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.” He suddenly remembered his manners and held a hand out. “I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Thank you for having me.”

There was a soft chuckle from the dark-haired male before he took Naruto’s hand in his own to shake it. “Itachi Uchiha. Welcome.”

Naruto felt his face heat up. “Uh, th-thank you!”

“Make yourself at home,” Itachi said, stepping away from the blond. “I’ll get Sasuke.”

Naruto watched Itachi walk away before smacking himself in the forehead. “That was smooth, Uzumaki. Real smooth.” He kicked off his shoes, lining them up with the others so as not to seem rude, and stepped onto the carpet. It was just as soft as he imagined and Naruto walked around in a small circle just so he could feel it under his feet some more.

Sasuke soon rounded the corner of the TV wall, followed closely by Itachi, and cast a glare at the older male as they entered the living room, earning himself a light sigh. Itachi turned to Naruto and nodded in his direction. “It was nice to meet you, Naruto,” he said before disappearing around another corner.

The blond’s eyes followed Itachi before turning back to Sasuke. “Who _is_ that?” he asked. “He’s so cool.”

“My brother,” Sasuke replied shortly, turning away and motioning Naruto to follow. “And he’s not cool.”

“If you say so,” Naruto said as he fell into step behind Sasuke, casting one final glance toward where Itachi vanished before turning down a hall. He followed Sasuke into a room at the end of the hall, his eyes widening as he looked around. A queen-sized bed sat on one side of the room, taking up much of the wall. A small flatscreen was mounted on the wall closest to the foot of the bed with a stand below it that held a couple different gaming consoles as well as a Blu-ray player. A game rack stood next to it with most of its slots filled with different game cases. Against the far wall sat a desk with two large monitors and a computer tower with a large gaming chair pushed up to it.

“I didn’t know you were a gamer,” Naruto said as the entirety of the room sunk in.

Sasuke glanced at him before settling himself on his bed and pulling a laptop from his comforter onto his lap. “Yeah,” he said simply.

Naruto frowned as Sasuke began typing away at the laptop’s keyboard, the gentle clicks the only sound in the room. It was then that Naruto got his first good look at Sasuke since he last saw him at school. There was a large, dark bluish-purple bruise covering Sasuke’s left cheek and part of his nose that Naruto figured was where Kiba’s ball had made its impact. He frowned lightly, not noticing Sasuke glance up at him.

“What?” the raven questioned.

Naruto realized he hand been staring and quickly turned his eyes to the ground. “Nothing,” he said softly.

Sasuke hummed and leaned back against his headboard as he watched the blond. “You get hit point blank with a dodgeball from Kiba and tell me how you look.”

“Yeah,” Naruto mumbled. “He got in pretty big trouble after that.”

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously? It’s dodgeball. Shit happens.”

“I think it was more what happened because of the ball,” Naruto said, moving to sit on the bed at Sasuke’s feet.

“Yeah, that part sucked,” Sasuke said, the edge of his mouth tipping up slightly. “I didn’t get home from the hospital until Wednesday and Itachi hasn’t let me leave the house since.”

Naruto grimaced. “Sorry.”

A small puff of laughter left the Uchiha. “What’re you sorry for?”

“Y’know for Kiba…I guess.”

“Pretty sure you didn’t make him throw the ball at my face,” Sasuke said, sitting upright again to focus on his laptop again. “So anyway, I kinda made an outline for the project.” He flipped the laptop screen behind the keyboard, folding it in half and giving Naruto a heart attack, before holding up a still functional screen to the blond. “This is how much Itachi spends on me and him on everyday things. I figured we could adjust it however we want and go from there.”

Naruto’s eyes scanned the screen briefly before he groaned. “That’s a lot of numbers.”

“Well yeah, it’s a budget,” Sasuke replied, pulling the laptop back. “If you want, I can work on the number part and you do the essay.”

“Sure,” Naruto sighed. “Let’s do that.”

Sasuke smirked and unfolded his laptop so he could type again. “Fine.”

The two spent the next two hours going through Itachi’s already established budget, taking out things that weren’t necessary, like band expenses, and keeping things like food and utilities. Finally, Sasuke closed his laptop with a sigh and leaned back against his headboard again. “I e-mailed it to you so you can use the numbers for the essay,” he said, his eyes drooping slightly as his head pulsed.

Naruto had moved to sit next to Sasuke so he could get a good look at the screen while they worked and now slid himself back to the foot of the bed. He nodded, noticing that Sasuke suddenly seemed uncomfortable. “Okay, cool. I’ll work on it this weekend.”

“No rush,” Sasuke said, closing his eyes. “It’s not due for another week.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, looking down at his hands. He pulled out his phone and looked at the time before sticking it back into his pocket. “It’s almost five, I should get going.”

“Hm. That late?” Sasuke’s eyes remained closed as he answered, though his eyebrows rose slightly.

“Mm-hm,” Naruto hummed as he got to his feet and picked up his bag. “I’ll see ya. Feel better.”

Sasuke hummed, a single eye peeking open to watch Naruto leave before he closed it again.

Naruto walked down the hall and turned into the living room, stopping when the aroma of food hit him. He hadn’t noticed it when he first left Sasuke’s room, but the house was filled with what seemed like the scent of meat and garlic. He padded across the living room and turned the corner Itachi had earlier, stepping into a large kitchen and dining area. Itachi was at a gas stove, his eyes focused on something in a pan in front of him.

“Hey, who’re you?”

Naruto jumped at the rough voice and turned to see a muscular, pale-skinned man sitting at the dining table, his dark eyes narrowed at the blond.

Itachi glanced behind him before turning his attention back to the pan. “It’s alright, Kisame. He’s Sasuke’s friend.”

“Heh,” Kisame laughed. “You look a little too nice to be friends with that brat.” He looked to Itachi as the latter cleared his throat and grinned. “My apologies, Itachi,” he said, though Naruto didn’t think he looked all that sorry.

“Are you finished with your project?” Itachi asked, turning off the flame on the stove. He moved the pan off the burner and turned to face Naruto. The older Uchiha had retied his hair into a higher ponytail that now kept his bangs out of his face and a black cooking apron hung on his front. Naruto didn’t catch himself staring, but Itachi did. “Naruto?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah! Well, mostly. I'm going to finish my part this weekend.” Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head. “Anyway, I better get going.”

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Itachi asked as he untied the apron and hung it on a hook on the pantry. “I wouldn’t be a proper host if I sent my guest away without anything to eat.”

“Uh…” Naruto felt his face heat up again and he shook his head slowly. “N-no, thank you,” he said. “My godfather is expecting me.”

Itachi hummed softly and moved towards Naruto, stopping in front of the blond and holding out a hand. “It was nice to have you. Thank you for working with my brother.”

Naruto stared dumbly at Itachi’s hand for a moment before taking it and looking up at the other male’s face. “Uh, sure. No problem.”

“Until next time then,” Itachi said, moving to open the front door for Naruto.

Naruto nodded and stepped out of the door, nearly missing the couple of steps in front of the house. “Yeah! Until next time!” And the blond was on his way down the street.

Itachi smiled gently before he closed the door behind Naruto and walked back into the kitchen, chuckling as he shook his head.

“Poor kid,” Kisame said with a laugh. “He was completely smitten.”

“So it would seem,” Itachi replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. He moved back to the stove and rationed out the freshly cooked meal of steak, roasted potatoes, and asparagus to three plates.

Kisame watched as Itachi placed one plate in front of him and the other two on the table, causing the paler male to cock an eyebrow. “You know he’s not going to eat with us,” he said.

“I'm not going to let him starve,” Itachi said, turning and walking to Sasuke’s room. He knocked on the door, knowing full well there might not be an answer. “Sasuke, dinner is on the table.” There was a grumble from the other side of the door, but it didn’t open. Itachi sighed and made his way back to the kitchen were Kisame was hungrily digging into his steak.

“You really outdid yourself this time, Itachi,” he said around a mouthful of meat.

Itachi sat at his place and stared at his plate.

Kisame stopped his attack on the steak and looked at his friend. “He didn’t answer?”

The older Uchiha closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose before picking up his fork. “No. Let’s eat.”


	8. Another Night Out

**Chapter 8: Another Night Out**

Naruto lied on the couch, his eyes only partially focused on the TV program in front of him. His attention quickly shifted to the doorway as his godfather walked in, a suspiciously cheery grin on his face as he approached the blond.

“Hey, kiddo. What’cha doin’?”

“Nothin’,” Naruto replied, turning to stare absently at the TV again.

“Wanna hit up the movies?”

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the man. “What, like now?”

“Yeah, now,” Jiraiya answered.

“You’re not bringing a girl are you?” Naruto asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

The older man laughed and shook his head. “No, no, there’s no girl. Just you and me, kid.”

Naruto hummed in thought, not really sure if he believed the other male or not, but he eventually shrugged and turned off the TV. “If you say so, Pervy Sage.”

“You’re still calling me that?” Jiraiya half-complained, though his face made it clear he didn’t really mind.

The blond laughed and got to his feet before stretching his arms over his head with a light groan. “Okay, let’s go.”

Jiraiya and Naruto drove their way into town where they attended a showing of some two hour long, action-comedy spy movie. The blond was totally into it, nudging Jiraiya at every awe-inspiring explosion and bursting with laughter at every poorly made joke the main character made. It had been a while since he had enjoyed himself so much, he realized, and the thought occurred to him how lucky he was to be able to spend time with his adoptive “family” like this. Much too soon, though, the lights in the theatre brightened as the credits began rolling.

Naruto looked around at all the people getting up to leave before turning to Jiraiya. “Wait, that’s it? But we didn’t get to see if that one guy survived or not! They totally left it open!”

“That’s kinda the point, Naruto,” Jiraiya said, standing up as well. “They left it open for a sequel.”

“You mean I gotta wait who knows how long for the next one?!” Naruto complained. “Aw man…”

Jiraiya placed a hand on the blond spikes next to him. “Cheer up. When the next one comes out, we’ll go to see that one, too. It’s rare we get days like this, so we gotta make the best of them.” A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he leaned in towards his godson. “That being said, it’s about time for the ladies to hit the club. Whaddya say? You in?”

Naruto's face instantly deadpanned. “No way, Pervy Sage. You’re on your own.”

* * *

Raging applause and cheers sounded from the large audience gathered around the popup stage in Konoha Central Park. The lights from the stage died down as the performers made their way backstage, leaving the fans screaming praises and encore requests.

Itachi exhaled heavily as he lifted his guitar’s strap up and over his head and moved to get a bottle of water from a concession table that was set up for the performers. Kisame stepped up to him as Itachi downed the bottle and lightly patted the latter on the back. “Nice job out there, Itachi. You really killed it.”

The edge of Itachi's mouth tilted up slightly at his friend but quickly fell again as Tobi, Konan, and Nagato joined them backstage. Dark eyes narrowed as Tobi charged forward and the Uchiha quickly stepped to the side, avoiding the impact and sending the other male colliding into the table.

“Itachi,” Tobi whined as he adjusted himself so he was sitting on his knees. “That was so mean!”

Itachi sighed and turned to the other two that were standing nearby. “Konan, Nagato, would you mind finishing up here?”

The two mentioned members glanced at each other before nodding. “Are you going home?” Konan asked.

Itachi handed off his guitar to Kisame and hummed lightly. “I’m not sure yet,” he answered.

“Sasuke still causing trouble?” Nagato asked.

Kisame huffed in amusement as Itachi averted his eyes. “That’s an understatement, I’d say. That boy is going to get his ass kicked whether it be some other kid or myself.”

“Enough,” Itachi snapped, earning a grin from Kisame. No matter how irritated Itachi got, it never seemed to faze his friend, which simply exasperated Itachi in the end. “Text me if there are any issues getting the payment,” he said before turning away.

The raven-haired man took care in choosing his escape route, ducking behind the stage and exiting the park from its side entrance instead of the main one that was currently filled with screaming, overstimulated fans. His hands found their way into his jean pockets as he walked, his eyes moving up to stare at the stars. There was a slight chill in the air, typical for Konoha in September, but Itachi’s thin, black overshirt was enough to fight it off and leave him fairly comfortable.

A figure suddenly caught his eye and he looked across the street to see a familiar blond walking away from an older man in front of the movie theatre. A curious hum sounded in his throat before he briefly checked for traffic and crossed the street to the blond.

“Naruto.”

Naruto swung around almost immediately, his eyes widening slightly. “Itachi! What’re you doin’ here?!”

“I had a previous engagement at the park tonight,” Itachi answered, “What about yourself?”

“Me? Well, my godfather and I saw a movie tonight and I was just about to go home.” There was a slight pause then, “How’s Sasuke?”

Itachi forced his face to remain neutral. “I tried to call him a couple hours ago, but I got his voicemail. He seemed okay when I left today.”

“Oh,” Naruto said, looking down. “That’s good.”

Itachi exhaled lightly through his nose as he observed the blond. The younger male seemed almost troubled by the lack of detail regarding the younger Uchiha. Dark eyebrows furrowed slightly before his expression softened again. If only Sasuke realized what a potential friend he had in Naruto…Well, it was wishful thinking on Itachi’s part anyway. “Naruto.” He smiled gently as the blond looked up at him. “Why don’t we get some coffee before you head home?”

Naruto’s mouth gaped slightly. “What, like together?”

Itachi cocked an eyebrow. “Yes,” he said slowly, clearly confused by Naruto’s apparent lack of understanding.

After a moment more of staring, Naruto slowly nodded. “Yeah, sure,” he agreed. “Let’s go.” He fell into step beside Itachi as the latter began walking down the sidewalk again, every now and then sneaking a glance at the older male. Naruto couldn’t believe how alike Sasuke and Itachi looked though their personalities were miles apart. Sasuke was abrasive, sarcastic, and almost apathetic while Itachi was calm, cool, collected, and seemed to care more about his brother than Sasuke led others to believe.

Itachi felt the other’s gaze on him and glanced at Naruto out of his peripherals. “You really ought to watch where you’re walking. You might run into something.”

Naruto’s face flushed slightly and he tore his eyes from Itachi to focus ahead of him. “So, uh, where are we going?”

“There’s a small café my friend and I used to visit whenever we would come into town,” Itachi answered after a beat.

Naruto thought Itachi’s eyes seemed almost sad for a moment, but it was gone before he could try and get a better look. “You said you used to visit here,” he said after a brief silence. “Does that mean you’re not from around here?”

“Hm?” Itachi looked down at Naruto and shrugged lightly. “You could say that. Sasuke and I used to live in our family’s estate outside of the city until recently.”

“Outside the city?” Naruto repeated. “Oh! You mean that walled off place south of here?”

“Mhm,” Itachi hummed, turning his attention ahead of him again. “That’s the place.”

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms as Itachi fell silent again. Clearly he wasn’t going to get much more thing out of the man. After a few more minutes of walking, the older male finally came to a stop outside of a small café. Naruto looked around and realized they were just a couple businesses away from the ramen shop he frequented whenever he stayed with Jiraiya.

Itachi looked behind him as Naruto paused outside of the café. “Are you coming?”

“Oh, uh, yeah!” Naruto jogged after Itachi into the café and followed him to the counter.

The barista, a slender young woman with long, brown hair and a mole on her right cheek, smiled brightly as she spotted Itachi. “Itachi! Welcome!”

“Izumi,” Itachi greeted back, in a polite tone that Naruto thought seemed a bit forced. “You’re working on the weekend.”

“Yeah,” Izumi sighed. “One of the other girls needed tonight off for some concert or something in the park, so I had to cover for tonight.” Itachi tensed slightly, but the girl didn’t seem to notice as she continued. “Oh, that reminds me,” her face fell slightly as she leaned on the counter. “I heard about Shisui…Are you okay?”

Naruto looked over at Itachi’s hand as it balled into a fist at his side. His eyes moved to Itachi’s, though he couldn’t read just what it was that was expressed on the other’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but the moment he inhaled to make words, Itachi’s hand was in front of his face, signaling him to stay quiet.

“I'm alright,” Itachi said coolly. “If you’ll excuse us.” He placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder and steered the blond around and out the door of the café as Izumi called after them. The moment the autumn air hit their faces, Itachi brought his hand to his face with a groan. “She’s not supposed to work on weekends,” he murmured.

“Itachi?” Naruto leaned forward, his blue eyes wide with concern.

The Uchiha lowered his hand and gave Naruto a small smile. “I apologize about that, Naruto.” His voice was calm and smooth again although Naruto wasn’t exactly convinced the other was okay. “If you’d still like to join me for coffee, we can go to my place.”

Naruto's face brightened and he nodded. “Yeah!” He returned Itachi’s smile with a grin of his own and the two of them began the walk back to the Uchiha house.

* * *

Naruto sighed loudly as he set his empty coffee mug on the table with a loud ‘thud’. “Man, that was good!”

Across from him, Itachi chuckled and gently set down his mug as well. “I'm glad you enjoyed it,” he said, crossing his arms on the table’s surface. Dark eyes glanced at the clock on the wall before they rested on the blond again, an apologetic expression on his face. “It seems I’ve kept you out for much longer than I intended.”

Naruto laughed and rested his hands behind his head. “Ah, it’s no big deal. My godfather is at the club later than this all the time.”

Itachi hummed as he cocked an eyebrow. Just what kind of a man was Naruto’s godfather? “Well,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I’d offer you dinner, but I'm afraid it’s too late to cook anything too in-depth.”

The sound of the front door opening caught their attention and a little later Kisame stumbled into the kitchen, his arms nearly overflowing with bags of barbeque takeout. Itachi was on his feet within seconds, moving to help his friend bring the food to the table. “I thought I asked you not to bring this kind of stuff into my house,” he scolded.

“Heh, well it’s not like _you_ were going to cook anything tonight,” Kisame retorted.

The truth of his friend’s words left Itachi without a comeback so he simply turned to Naruto again. “As it stands, it seems there is an option for dinner after all. Would you like to join us?”

Kisame threw an arm around Naruto’s shoulders, triggering a light frown from Itachi, and shook the blond. “C’mon, kid, stay a little longer! We don’t bite, I promise! Well, Itachi doesn’t anyway.”

Naruto blinked as he looked from Itachi to Kisame and back again before shrugging. “Um…sure?”

He winced as Kisame smacked his back in triumph and the latter turned to dive into the bags. Itachi stepped over to him and smacked his hands away with a stern expression. “Kisame, we have a guest,” he reminded. The raven stepped in front of Kisame and separated out some of the food that he placed on a plate and set it in front of Naruto. He then nodded to Kisame to continue his assault on the takeout bags.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Kisame asked Itachi as the latter sat back in his chair and rested his cheek on the palm of his hand.

Itachi glanced over at Kisame and shook his head gently, his eyes traveling back to Naruto. The blond was tearing into his food, ravenous but obviously still trying to be polite. Itachi’s expression softened as he observed the teen and he couldn’t help the small smile that found its way to his face. Kisame noticed the object of Itachi’s attention and smiled to himself but chose to focus on his dinner instead of disturbing his friend. After all, it had been a while since Itachi had looked so serene.

Kisame and Naruto were soon done with their food, the two of them leaning back in their seats with content sighs. Itachi stood and gathered the dishes, dumping them into the kitchen sink before coming back to stand by the table. “Good?” he asked, mostly to his guest.

Naruto nodded appreciatively. “Yeah, thanks a lot, Itachi!” His eyes glanced at the clock before he jumped to his feet in a panic. “Oh crap! It’s so late!” It was quickly approaching midnight but Naruto had been having too much fun to notice at first.

Itachi noted the time as well and turned his attention to the kitchen doorway. He hadn’t seen Sasuke since he left for his concert…five hours ago. To say that the older brother was concerned was an understatement, but he forced himself to turn back to the other two. “Why don’t I walk you home, Naruto?” he offered, crossing his arms lightly over his chest.

Naruto shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but no thanks,” he said. “You’ve already done enough for me today.”

“You sure?” Kisame piped up. “We wouldn’t want some pervert snatching up a little treat like you.” He waggled his eyebrows for effect, snickering as Naruto’s face pinked.

“Don’t tease him,” Itachi said, smacking the side of his friend’s head. “You’re not helping.”

“Um…my godfather just lives a block away,” Naruto explained. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Naruto nodded at Itachi. “Yeah, positive.”

The older male was quiet for a moment before stepping over to Naruto and holding out his hand. “Let me have your phone for a moment.” Naruto blinked before pulling his phone out of his pocket and setting it in Itachi’s hand. The raven tapped on the screen a few times before handing the device back to the blond. “Text me when you get home.”

Naruto stared dumbly at Itachi before nodding. “Uh, yeah, sure. See ya.” And he turned away and was out the front door in seconds.

“Itachi,” Kisame said, a light warning in his voice.

“It’s fine,” Itachi said quickly, though he didn’t look at his friend.

Kisame noticed and crossed his arms. “You better know what you’re doing.”


	9. Down and Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooooo sorry for my late updating. These last three weeks have been full of school, work, a veterinary conference, and an anime convention so I had like NO time to work on the coming chapters Dx 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter comes away from Naruto a bit and focuses more on the Uchihas, more specifically Itachi. It seems irrelevant but trust me, it's gonna be crucial later.

** Chapter 9: Down and Out **

Sasuke picked up his backpack and made his way into the kitchen to get his morning granola bar. He paused as he closed the pantry, noticing the table nearby was bare. He cocked an eyebrow and glanced toward the hallway before turning away and leaving the house. It looked like Itachi finally gave up trying to cook for him.

It was Monday morning and the raven-haired teen had finally gotten the okay to go back to school. Kisame had left the day before as well, though he had spent an awful bit of time fluttering around Itachi before he did so, the two of them speaking in quick, hushed tones before the paler man finally gathered up his things and left. Sasuke had briefly wondered what could have been so secret that it subdued Kisame’s normally abrupt personality, but it was a fleeting thought and Sasuke soon came to the conclusion that he actually couldn’t care less.

The walk to school was quick and soon the raven-haired teen was through the door and taking his seat in homeroom. A few moments later, Naruto burst into the room, followed closely by Iruka as usual, and very loudly made his way to his seat. Finally, after a bit of effort on Iruka’s part, the class settled down to begin their lessons for the day.

* * *

Itachi lied in his bed, the comforter pulled up to his chin as he stared at the wall. By the looks of the sunlight coming through the window, it had to be about time for Sasuke to get ready for school. The sound of another door closing somewhere down the hall verified his thoughts and Itachi shifted so he was sitting up and against the headboard. There were sounds of rummaging in the kitchen – probably Sasuke getting one of his breakfast bars – a brief moment of silence, then the sound of the front door closing.

The older male sighed and shifted again, this time with a small groan of discomfort. His body ached as if he had taken part in some extensive full-body workout and his head pulsed with a dull ache that left him feeling nauseous. The truth was that Itachi had felt this way since the previous day, eliciting a way out-of-character mother-like pestering from his best friend. Itachi had finally convinced Kisame that he was fine but the moment his friend closed the front door behind him, the Uchiha made a beeline to his bed, resolving to keep himself locked in his room for the time being. It wasn’t like anyone was depending on him getting out of bed anyway.

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house causing Itachi to open his eyes again and it took only a second for him to realize he had fallen asleep sitting up. The doorbell rang again and Itachi reached over to his phone to take note of the time: 2pm.

His phone suddenly vibrated in his hand as a text from Kisame appeared on the screen. _‘Heyyyyy, you in there!?’_

The consideration of ignoring the message crossed Itachi’s mind but there were another two rings of the doorbell that convinced him it would be worse to do so. _‘In bed,’_ he typed.

A brief pause then, _‘Whaaaat? Bed?! It’s like 2!’_

_‘Yup.’ _This text conversation was going nowhere fast. There was a longer pause before Itachi’s phone vibrated again.

_‘You still feel like shit, don’t you?’_

Itachi hummed in annoyance and tossed his phone to the side before sliding back under his comforter. He was not in the mood to deal with another day of nagging.

The front door suddenly banged close seconds before Kisame’s voice sounded in the house. “Itachi, we’re coming in!”

“Of course, you are,” Itachi mumbled into his pillow. He could hear a couple more voices in the living room and he mentally cursed himself for forgetting the Akatsuki met at his house on Mondays. The raven pushed the comforter back and forced himself to his feet before pulling on a black long-sleeved shirt and gray sweatpants. He trudged to the door and emerged from his room to see his band gathered in his living room.

Deidara was the first to spot the Uchiha and his eyes widened. “Woah. You look like shit, Itachi.”

“Thanks,” Itachi muttered as his friends gathered around him.

“What happened to you?” Sasori asked, crossing his arms.

“I imagine I picked something up from the park the other night,” Itachi said as he moved to sit on the couch.

“I told you those outdoor concerts were a bad idea,” Kakuzu grumbled.

“You think everything’s a bad idea,” Hidan said with a grin as he threw his arm over Kakuzu’s shoulders.

Kakuzu turned a glare onto the silveret. “Get your arm off of me or I’ll kill you.” Hidan rolled his eyes at the threat but dropped his arm back to his side.

“Boys, seriously,” Konan scolded. She moved over to Itachi and rested a hand against his forehead before pulling it back slightly with a frown. “You realize you have a fever, right?”

Itachi gently pushed her hand away. “I'm fine.”

“You’re not fine!” she countered. “You haven’t been fine since…” she trailed off and averted her eyes with a sigh. “Nevermind.”

Itachi sighed and pulled his legs up onto the couch so he could lie back. “That has nothing to do with this,” he said softly. “I'm certain it’s just a small bug.”

“Itachi!” Tobi pushed his way past the others and piled onto Itachi. The Uchiha let out a low “oof” at the sudden weight but couldn’t find the strength to push the smaller male off of him. “Itachi, you gotta get better, you hear me? You gotta!”

“Get off of him!” Deidara snapped, grabbing the back of Tobi’s shirt collar and jerking him off of Itachi. “Can’t you see he feels bad enough without you tormenting him as well?!”

“Awww, Deidara, you’re so mean!” Tobi whined. “I just wanted to make Itachi feel better.”

“I think,” a quiet redhead behind Konan finally spoke up, “that we should let him rest for a while. Our next gig isn’t for a while, so we don’t really need the practice today.”

“Nagato’s right,” Konan said, running a hand over Itachi’s hair causing the latter’s eyes to drift closed. “I think we’ve stressed Itachi out enough for one day.”

“Fair enough,” Deidara agreed as he turned for the door. “I have a pottery project I need to finish anyway. See ya later, Itachi.”

Itachi blinked his eyes open and raised a hand in farewell as his friends filed out of his house until just Konan, Kisame, and Nagato were left.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Itachi?” Konan asked.

Itachi glanced at her and nodded. “I'm fine. Since when does the flu warrant such excessive concern?”

Nagato smiled and placed a hand on Konan’s shoulder. “He has a point. I'm sure he’ll be back on his feet in no time; he just needs to take it easy for a couple of days.”

“I still don’t like it,” Kisame grumbled as he crossed his arms. “Something’s not right.”

Itachi narrowed his eyes. “Would it ease your nerves to stay here for a few days like before?”

Kisame scoffed. “No. I need some time away from your shit of a younger brother. But I’ll be checking in on you. Got it?”

“I got it,” Itachi said, his lips tipping up in a slight smile.

Kisame grinned and stepped forward to pat Itachi’s shoulder. “Good. I’ll see ya later, pal. Get better.”

The three Akatsuki members finally left, leaving Itachi alone on the couch. He sighed and slowly rolled onto his side before reaching for a remote on the nearby coffee table and turning on the television.

About half an hour had passed before the front door opened again. There was the sound of keys and something else hitting the floor before Sasuke walked into the living room. The younger Uchiha paused and cocked an eyebrow at Itachi. “The hell’s the matter with you?”

“I picked up a bug of some kind during the concert,” Itachi explained, rolling onto his back so he could see his brother better. “How was school?”

“Fine,” Sasuke replied. His eyes settled on the television for a moment before he turned back to his brother. “Are you going to be able to eat?”

Itachi’s eyebrows rose slightly. “I don’t have much of an appetite, to be honest,” he said slowly.

Sasuke hummed and headed toward the hallway to his room. “I’ll start dinner in a couple hours,” he said as he disappeared around the corner.

Itachi blinked in mild confusion before rolling back onto his side and tuning back into the program on the TV. Maybe it was just the fever but for a moment Itachi could have sworn Sasuke seemed almost…concerned.


	10. The Consequences of Procrastination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so things are going to start picking up in a few different ways from this chapter on. I expect you to be confused for a bit...it's my evil plan of suspense.
> 
> Also, I had someone express to me how...frustrating certain characters are being, namely Sasuke and people who address Sasuke. Y'all have to remember, the guy's seventeen. He's a brooding, angsty teenager who had a rough life and doesn't know how to handle it so he takes it out on the people around him, then they turn around and get irritated because they don't know why the kid's being such a turd. I dunno about you guys, but I wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine as a teenager either haha. Anyway, my point is. This is first and foremost an AU where I am trying my best to apply character personalities to how they would be in our universe. Bear with me.

** Chapter 10: The Consequences of Procrastination **

“AHH!!”

Jiraiya lifted his head as Naruto’s panicked yell echoed through the house. There were a few dull crashes from the above floor before the blond was suddenly dashing down the stairs. Jiraiya blinked from his spot on the couch and followed Naruto with his eyes as the latter sped into the kitchen.

“Naruto, what’s the matter?”

“I forgot about the project!”

“You mean the project you and Sasuke were working on a couple weeks ago? I thought you finished it.”

“No, I was supposed to do the report part!”

“When’s it due?” Jiraiya asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

“Tomorrow!” Naruto wailed.

Jiraiya shook his head with a sigh. “Procrastinating as usual.”

“Hey, lay off,” Naruto said, walking out of the kitchen with a cup of instant ramen. “At least I remembered.”

“Oh yeah,” Jiraiya said, eyeing the noodles. “I can see your priorities are completely in order.”

The blond puffed his cheeks out in a pout. “So I got hungry. Sue me.”

“Just go work on your project,” Jiraiya said, turning his attention back to writing a manuscript in front of him. “The last thing I need is Iruka jumping down my throat for not making you finish your schoolwork.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Naruto mumbled as he headed for the stairs. “I got it.” The blond trudged up to his room and pulled his laptop out of his backpack before plopping onto his bed, taking care not to spill his snack on the covers. He opened the laptop and, after letting it load, opened his e-mail and located the still unread message Sasuke had sent him with the project’s budget contents. “Ugh, this is gonna take me _forever_,” he groaned. Blue eyes flashed to the clock on his nightstand which displayed a time of 4:00 pm. He usually left Jiraiya’s house around seven so he had time to eat dinner and wind down once he got to Iruka’s house, so that left him with about three hours to finish the essay he hadn’t even started on. Naruto slurped one more mouthful of noodles before setting his food to the side with a sigh. “Here goes nothing.”

It was 8:30 by the time Naruto finally closed his laptop. The essay had taken him _way_ longer than he had intended it to, but at least it was done. The blond shoved his laptop back in his backpack and hopped off of his bed to stuff his travel bag with his school uniform and some other small articles of clothing before he stepped out of his room and closed the door behind him.

Jiraiya was still on the couch – though his focus had shifted from his manuscript to the TV – and he looked up as Naruto came down the stairs once again. “Finished?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said. “Finally.”

Jiraiya glanced at his watch before looking back up to the blond. “It’s kinda late. You sure you wanna walk home? I can drive you.”

Naruto shook his head. “Nah, it’s okay. It’s only like thirty minutes, I’ll be fine.” He walked over to Jiraiya and held out his fist which the older man gently bumped with his own. “See ya later, Pervy Sage.”

“See ya, kid. Be careful.”

The September night air was cool and crisp as Naruto began the walk back to Iruka’s house. There weren’t very many people out on the streets with it being Sunday night and the majority of people having either school or work in the morning, so it was a quiet walk. Almost too quiet.

A prickling feeling crept up Naruto’s spine suddenly and he frowned as the sound of footsteps sounded behind him. The blond stopped and turned around, his head cocked in confusion when he didn’t see anyone on the sidewalk. He slowly turned again to continue towards Iruka’s, a tightening feeling filling his stomach. It wasn’t long when footsteps sounded behind him again, but this time Naruto didn’t bother to look. Instead, the blond took off into a run, panic filling him when he realized the steps behind him had picked up speed as well. He soon approached the end of the block and rounded the corner and straight into another person.

The person let out a small breath at the impact before they suddenly spoke. “Naruto?”

Naruto had been trying to reorient himself to keep running when he looked up at the voice. “Itachi! Itachi, someone’s following me!”

The Uchiha’s face fell into a frown and he placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder before he stepped around the corner to face the pursuer. “Are you sure?” he asked when he saw only empty street.

Naruto leaned around the corner and looked as well. “But…” he said when he didn’t see anybody. “I swear someone was there…”

Itachi looked down at Naruto before looking up again at the street. There wasn’t anyone that he could see, but the blond teen was so shaken up, it just didn’t feel right to the older male to leave him alone. “Come,” Itachi said softly, placing his arm around Naruto’s shoulders. “Let’s take you home.”

Naruto’s eyes widened and shot up to Itachi’s face. “What? No, that’s okay. I…I must have imagined it. I’ll be fine.”

Itachi hummed as he watched the blond. He’d never point it out, but the raven could feel the teen trembling from the adrenaline of whatever had startled him so bad. He tightened his hold on Naruto’s shoulders, pulling him against his side in an effort to still his trembling. “You will be fine. Because I'm walking you home.”

Itachi’s shift in tone left no room for arguing so Naruto simply looked down and nodded, his face darkening with a small blush. “Fine,” he mumbled.

“Good,” Itachi said. “Now, your godfather’s house is close, correct?”

“I'm actually heading to my sensei’s house,” Naruto said. When Itachi looked down at him in question, he continued, “Iruka-sensei’s my guardian.”

“Your guardian?” Itachi repeated. “Where are your parents?”

“They died when I was little,” Naruto said with a small shrug.

“I see,” Itachi said. “Where does your sensei live?”

“About a mile from here,” Naruto said.

Itachi paused before gently steering the blond in a different direction. “It’s too late to walk that far. You can stay at my house for the night then in the morning you can go to school with Sasuke.”

“Wait, what?” Naruto’s mouth gaped as he was guided down the street toward the Uchiha household, and he turned in the other’s grip. “But, Itachi!!”

Itachi frowned. “Look, it’s going to be close to 10:00 by the time you get home and after what you told me about you being followed, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be wandering the streets by yourself.” His face softened a touch as he smiled. “Just humor me.”

Naruto groaned but allowed Itachi to continue leading him. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he looked up at the man. “Hey, Itachi…What’re you doing out here so late anyway?”

“I usually take a walk before bed,” Itachi replied, keeping his eyes in front of them. “It helps to relax my mind.”

“Really?” Naruto asked.

Itachi chuckled at the doubting tone in the blond’s voice. “Really. But only when it’s nice like tonight.” Naruto hummed thoughtfully but left it at that as they turned the corner to Itachi’s house.

The older male opened the door and stepped to the side to allow Naruto in first before following him inside and closing the door behind them. Naruto hovered in the doorway, wondering just where in this extravagant house he would be sleeping, until Itachi gently nudged him forward. “Are you still that hesitant when you come to my home?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Well yeah,” Naruto mumbled. “I’ve only been here like twice.”

Itachi chuckled and made his way past Naruto and into the kitchen. “Have you eaten yet?” he asked over his shoulder.

“I had some ramen earlier at my godfather’s,” Naruto said, following Itachi into the kitchen.

Itachi was standing at the refrigerator and cocked an eyebrow as the blond walked in. “How long ago was that?”

“Um…not that long ago,” Naruto lied. 

Itachi made a small sound in his throat, almost like a light groan, before pulling a small container out of the fridge and handing it to Naruto. “Here. There were some leftovers from dinner tonight so help yourself.”

“I feel like you’re trying to fatten me up or something,” Naruto mumbled, taking the container from Itachi and peeking inside.

A small, abrupt laugh sounded from Itachi before he stopped himself and cleared his throat. “Forgive me, Naruto. It’s a habit I’ve picked up from taking care of Sasuke.”

Naruto smiled and made his way over to the table. “It’s okay,” he said, opening the container to reveal curry. “Iruka does the same thing to me when I'm at his house.”

Itachi opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a voice from the doorway. “You go for a walk and bring back a stray. What’s up, loser?”

Naruto perked up immediately. “Sasuke!” he said, jumping to his feet. “What’re you doing here?”

“I live here,” Sasuke answered bluntly. “What’re you doing here?”

“He’s staying the night,” Itachi answered, picking up the leftover container and placing it in the microwave. He pushed a few buttons to get the appliance started before turning around and facing Sasuke, his arms crossed lightly over his chest. “It was too late to take him home.”

“Why would _you_ need to take him home?” Sasuke asked suspiciously.

“I, uh, ended up leaving Jiraiya’s house late,” Naruto said, dropping back into his seat and rubbing the back of his head. “I may or may not have just finished the project essay tonight.”

“Seriously?” Sasuke sighed. “You really are a loser.”

Itachi frowned as Naruto pouted and turned to open the microwave as the timer went off. He pulled the container out of the microwave and set it gently in front of Naruto. “Eat. I’ll set you up a place to sleep.”

Sasuke cast a glare at Itachi as the latter walked out of the kitchen before moving to sit at the table across from Naruto. “So, you’re staying the night.”

Naruto nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, I totally spaced on the project and it was almost nine before I left Pervy Sage’s.”

“Well, you got it done at least, right?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, blowing on a spoonful of curry before stuffing it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for a bit before swallowing. “Took me forever though.” He looked up as Itachi walked back into the kitchen.

“I set up the spare bedroom at the end of the hall for you when you’re finished eating,” Itachi told him. “Please feel free to make yourself at home.”

Naruto opened his mouth to thank Itachi, but the latter had already turned and disappeared back into the living room. Sasuke noticed the blond’s face fall slightly and leaned back in his chair. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s weird.”

Naruto nodded lightly and glanced toward the living room again before continuing his meal.

Sasuke silently watched Naruto eat for a couple more minutes before standing and pushing his chair in. “Well, as much fun as it is watching you stuff your face, I'm going to bed. See you in the morning, knucklehead.”

“G’night, Sasuke,” Naruto called after his friend. He shoveled down the last couple bites of curry then walked over to the sink to wash out the container. Just because he was a guest didn’t mean he shouldn’t have manners. Once he was done, he wandered out of the kitchen and into the living room where Itachi was sitting quietly on the couch, his eyes on the TV. Naruto moved so he could see the TV better and tilted his head curiously. He suddenly perked as he recognized a figure on the screen. “Oh! That’s you!”

Itachi glanced at him and nodded before looking back to the video. “I'm reviewing our last performance so we can fix anything that might be off next time.”

“I didn’t know you were in a band,” Naruto said, walking over and plopping down next to Itachi. “What’re you called?”

“The Akatsuki,” Itachi answered with a small chuckle. “An old friend of ours, Yahiko, came up with the name.”

“So he’s part of the band then?”

Itachi’s face fell slightly. “No…Yahiko died a few years ago in a car accident. The band stayed together and kept the name to remember him.”

“Oh.” Naruto fell into an awkward silence as he watched the Akatsuki video on the TV. “So you’re a singer?”

“I am,” Itachi answered. “I prefer to stick to my guitar, though, and let Konan take vocals,” he motioned to a blue-haired female on the screen as he spoke.

Naruto’s face lit up as he turned to Itachi. “You play guitar?!”

Itachi blinked in surprise at Naruto’s sudden outburst and nodded. “Yes.”

“I love the guitar! Play something for me!”

The Uchiha’s face fell into a soft smile and he shook his head. “It’s too late for that tonight. Maybe some other time.” He poked Naruto in the forehead with his first two fingers earning a pout from the blond. “You should get to bed. It’s nearly eleven and I’d hate for you to be too exhausted to get up in the morning.”

As if on cue, Naruto’s mouth opened in a wide yawn. “Yeah, you’re right,” he sighed as he got to his feet. “Good night, Itachi.”

“Good night, Naruto.” The raven watched Naruto walk away, a light, considering frown on his face. He had noticed it mildly before, but following the overwhelming surge of protectiveness he felt when a terrified Naruto crashed into him, there was no denying it now…

The Uchiha had started to develop feelings for the blond.

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked around. Surrounding him was nothing except dark, quiet, and cold. Sasuke frowned and rubbed his eyes, hoping that doing so would clear away some of the darkness. When he pulled his hand away, he was standing in the middle of a field.

There was a noise from behind him, a collision of some kind, and the teen whipped around to see what had caused it. Onyx eyes widened at the fiery sight in front of him. There were train cars scattered from the tracks, every one of them engulfed in raging flames. Thick, black smoke billowed from the crash and filled the once clear air.

“What is this?” he asked, though something told him he already knew.

Sasuke hesitantly stepped toward the flames, but when he did, one of the train cars exploded, sending embers and debris ricocheting toward him. He moved his arm in front of his face to shield himself when something landed in front of him. Sasuke slowly knelt down and picked up a wallet, his breath shuddering as he recognized his family’s crest on a money clip attached to it.

He looked back up at the crash, his breaths shifting to distressed pants as his eyes burned from a mix of tears and smoke. He was right. He knew exactly what this was: It was the moment of his parents’ deaths.

Sasuke dropped to his knees, his hands clutched tight around the wallet as he dropped his head. Tears streamed down his face and dripped onto the grass below him. There was another explosion and Sasuke’s hands shot up to hold his head. “No…” He didn’t want to be here anymore. He didn’t want to see his parents’ fate. “NO!”

Sasuke shot straight up in his bed, a cold sweat covering his body as he panted heavily. His hand moved to push his bangs out of his face but stopped short as Sasuke stared at it. He was trembling. The raven sighed and dropped his hand into his lap and leaned his head back against his headboard. It had been a while since he had that particular dream, but the effects of it were still the same even years later.

His eyes drifted to his phone as his alarm began chiming, signaling for him to get ready for school. He let it go for a few seconds before reaching over and swiping the screen to silence it. He was _not_ ready for school today. If it wasn’t for that stupid project he and Naruto had done, he’d consider skipping.

Naruto.

Sasuke had completely spaced about the blond spending the night and decided he should at least try to be a decent host and greet his guest for the morning. And so, with a small groan, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet to ready himself for the day.

* * *

Naruto groaned lightly as sunlight filtered through the curtains and onto his face. He rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head, determined to get up on his own terms. He was just starting to drift off again when there was a light knock on the door. “Go away, Iruka,” he called, though his voice was muffled by the pillow.

The door creaked open a bit, much to Naruto’s dismay, before a voice called to him. “Naruto, you should get up now. Breakfast is on the table.”

Blue eyes shot open and he bolted upright to see Itachi’s head poking into the room. “Itachi?”

Itachi smiled softly. “Did you forget?”

“Forget…what?” Naruto asked, looking around. He didn’t know why Itachi was in his house, let alone so early in the morning. And what could he have possibly forgotten? Naruto looked down and realized with a jolt his comforter was not his comforter. And then the mental lightbulb in Naruto’s mind kicked on as he remembered the previous night. He had stayed the night at the Uchiha house.

Itachi chuckled as he watched Naruto register his thoughts. “Like I said, breakfast is on the table when you’re ready.”

“Oh! Uh, right,” Naruto said. “I’ll be there in a second.”

Itachi left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Naruto to get ready for school. The blond pulled his uniform out of his travel bag and threw it on before turning and making the bed out of consideration for his hosts, then gathered up his things and left the room.

Sasuke was just leaving his room as well when Naruto closed the guest room door behind him. The Uchiha looked up and gave Naruto a kind of half-wave before sticking his hands in his pockets and heading toward the kitchen. Naruto trailed after him, dropping his things next to the front door on the way, and stepped into the kitchen.

Itachi was nibbling on a piece of plain toast as he typed away at his laptop but lifted his eyes as the teens walked in. Naruto bolted over to the table, his mouth open in anticipation at the spread of eggs, toast, fruit, and bacon in front of him. Itachi smiled slightly at the blond’s excitement while Sasuke simply shook his head and moved over to the pantry for his daily granola bar. Naruto noticed and blinked at the younger brother. “You’re not gonna eat this stuff?” he asked. “It looks so good!”

Sasuke paused, granola bar in hand, and glanced from Naruto to Itachi and back again before sighing and putting it back. He and Naruto sat at the table where the latter immediately started rationing out portions of every food option. Sasuke was much more humble in his portions and served himself some fruit and a piece of toast, ignoring his brother’s eyes that were boring into the side of his head.

“This is great, Itachi!” Naruto praised.

Itachi shifted his gaze from Sasuke to Naruto and smiled. “I'm glad you enjoy it,” he said. He spared one more glance at Sasuke before turning back to his work on his laptop.

The teens were soon done with their breakfast and stood to take their dishes to the sink. “Just leave them there,” Itachi said without looking up. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks a bunch, Itachi,” Naruto said. “I really appreciate you letting me stay the night and everything.”

Itachi finally lifted his eyes and nodded. “It was no trouble at all, Naruto. I look forward to seeing you again.”

Sasuke’s eye twitched and he turned to Naruto and took hold of his wrist. “Come on,” he said, pulling the blond toward the door. “We’re going to be late.”

“Oh right!” Naruto followed Sasuke and picked up his things as the latter opened the door. “I definitely didn’t tell Iruka where I was last night so I'm sure I'm gonna get an earful. Thanks again, Itachi!” he called into the kitchen before disappearing through the door.

Itachi’s face hardened slightly as the door closed behind the younger males and his eyes dropped back to the laptop. He had been busy trying to access the footage from the surveillance cameras that were sparsely placed throughout the neighborhood and it seemed like he had gotten through at last. He didn’t like resorting to skills he had learned from his past with the city’s government ANBU division, but after last night it didn’t seem like he had much of a choice. Dark eyes narrowed as they scanned across the video footage until finally, a clip appeared that piqued his interest. There was Naruto, walking down the street from Jiraiya’s house, when suddenly a second figure appeared behind him. The figure stopped and looked around as if making sure no one was watching before turning and following Naruto down the street. Itachi paused the video and zoomed in on the face of the figure before banging his fist onto the table. “Damn it,” he mumbled. He stood and briskly walked over to the door, grabbing his coat and car keys on the way, and left the house.


	11. Exciting News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all!! I hope you're all staying safe with all this crazy coronavirus hype going around. And I hope people aren't insanely greedy and hoarding over valuable resources like they are here where I live - -;; 
> 
> Anyway!! Figured with all this craziness going on, I'd update a week early to maybe provide a distraction from what's going on in the world. It's kinda a short chapter, but a lot happens so I hope you enjoy!! Thank you to all who have stuck with me this far and, again, stay safe and healthy!!
> 
> ~Yukipup

** Chapter 11: Exciting News **

Sasuke and Naruto arrived at the school and made their way to their seats. Iruka hadn’t arrived in the classroom yet so the students were divided among themselves as they chatted quietly. Sasuke set his backpack on his chair and turned to Naruto. “You have your half of the project right?” he asked.

Naruto nodded and fumbled through his own backpack before pulling out three pieces of paper. “Here it is!” he said with a grin.

The edge of Sasuke’s lips tipped up in a small smile. “Knucklehead,” he mumbled before moving his bag so he could sit down.

Iruka walked into the classroom a moment later, his dark eyes immediately honing in on Naruto. “Naruto Uzumaki!” he yelled, causing the rest of the class to fall silent as they turned to see what was going on.

Naruto physically flinched with a groan. “And there it is,” he whispered before turning to Iruka with an apologetic smile. “Hey, Iruka-sensei…”

“Don’t you ‘hey’ me!” Iruka said as he approached Naruto. “Where in the world were you last night?! Do you have _any _idea how worried I was about you?!”

“I was okay,” Naruto said, shifting his feet nervously. “I left Jiraiya’s house super late is all.”

“I called Jiraiya,” Iruka said, crossing his arms. “He told me you left and then he didn’t hear anything else from you. Where is your phone?!”

Naruto blinked in confusion and patted down his pockets before turning and rummaging through his travel bag. “Oh, here it is,” the blond said as he held up his phone. He noted the multiple missed calls from Iruka and Jiraiya and sheepishly turned back to Iruka. “I had it on silent…Sorry.”

Sasuke had been watching quietly from his desk but finally decided to rescue his friend from being the center of attention. “Iruka-sensei,” he said, causing the brunet to turn to him. “Naruto spent the night at my house last night. He was perfectly safe.”

“Be that as it may,” Iruka said, his tone only a touch quieter. “You should have called.”

“I know,” Naruto said, averting his eyes. “I'm sorry.”

Iruka stared at Naruto for a moment longer before turning to the rest of the class. “Everyone, get to your seats and get ready to turn in your project.”

Naruto handed his essay to Sasuke before slumping into his seat and turning his attention to the window. Sasuke watched him, a sympathetic glimmer in his eyes. He was more than familiar with the overbearing brother figure because of Itachi, but the older Uchiha never went off on him the way Iruka did to the blond. Sasuke considered himself lucky for that.

Iruka walked up and down the rows, gathering the projects before returning to his desk at the front of the room. “Okay, if that’s it for projects, on to the next thing.” He set the projects down and picked up another stack of papers that he distributed evenly to the students.

Excited chatter broke out among the students as they looked at the paper which piqued Naruto’s interest enough to look away from the window. When his paper got to him, his eyes widened excitedly. “A hot spring resort?!”

“That’s right,” Iruka said with a smile. “The entire junior class is taking a trip to the Hi no Kuni Hot Spring Resort. We figured it would be nice for you all to spend some time together without the excessive stress of senior classes and college searching.”

Naruto could barely keep still. He _loved _the hot springs. The last time he had been there was…His smile faltered slightly as he remembered his date with Gaara, but Iruka speaking up again caught his attention.

“The trip will be in a week and a half from October 9th to October 12th,” the brunet explained. “We’ll take a bus to the resort Thursday and stay through the weekend before we come back Sunday evening.”

Naruto’s eyes widened. “Yes!” he exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and causing Iruka to smile.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and leaned in towards Sakura. “Hey, what’s he so excited about? It’s just a hot spring.”

Sakura jumped and turned to Sasuke, her face darkening with a blush at how close the male was. “Th-the trip,” she stammered. “His birthday is during the trip.”

“His birthday?” Sasuke repeated, glancing at the blond again. He hummed thoughtfully and leaned back in his seat. He had only known Naruto for a couple of weeks and, though the two of them had gotten off to a rocky start, Sasuke had to admit the hyperactive, knuckleheaded junior had found a way to work his way straight into the Uchiha’s life. And for that reason, he came to the decision that he had to do something special for the blond.

“Settle down, Naruto,” Iruka said to the still parading blond. When Naruto finally settled down, Iruka faced the class again. “Now, before we go on this trip, there are a couple of things that need to happen. We’re going to need a few extra chaperones to help the teachers that are accompanying us.”

“Iruka-sensei?” Hinata called softly as she raised her hand. “What teachers are going with us?”

“Well, myself for one,” Iruka replied. “And Kakashi-sensei. And,” he sighed, “Yamato-sensei.”

“Wait, the _principal’s_ coming on our class trip?” Shikamaru asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“It seems he wanted to be included in such an exciting trip,” Iruka said, the expression on his face unreadable. “Anyway, I need two or three chaperones. Does anyone know of anyone who would be interested?”

Naruto’s hand shot up. “Oh! I'm sure Pervy Sage’d wanna come with us!”

“I’ll ask _Jiraiya_ later today,” Iruka said, making sure to emphasize the older man’s name. “Anyone else?”

Sakura’s hand went up next. “I can ask my mom’s friend at the hospital. We’re gonna need a feminine touch on this trip.”

“If that’s the case,” Sasuke said, “I’ll ask someone, too. She’ll say yes.”

“Perfect,” Iruka said. “That takes care of the chaperones. Now, let’s start our lesson for today.”

* * *

Sasuke stood by his desk as he waited for Naruto to gather his things. It was the end of the day and Sasuke had convinced Naruto to go with him to get an after school meal.

“Okay,” Naruto said, stepping over to the other teen. “Let’s go.”

Sasuke smiled and led the way out of the classroom with Naruto on his heels. After a few minutes, they arrived at a small barbeque cart near the park. The two placed their orders then, once they had their food, moved over to sit on a park bench. There was a moment of silence between them as they munched on their barbeque before Naruto turned to face Sasuke.

The Uchiha glanced at Naruto and frowned lightly. “What?”

“Nothing,” Naruto said, “except for the fact that you paid for my food.”

Sasuke was quiet and took another bite of his food. He took his time chewing and swallowed before he answered. “It’s what friends do,” he said simply.

“Yeah,” Naruto said with a grin. “If you say so. So…”

“So?” Sasuke repeated.

“So what do you think about the trip?” Naruto’s eyes sparkled at the question.

“Oh that,” Sasuke said, unable to hide the smile at how ecstatic the blond was. “I think it’ll be fun.”

“So who are you asking to come with us?” Naruto asked. “You said ‘she’ so it can’t be Itachi.”

“No,” Sasuke said almost immediately. “Not Itachi.”

“Oh,” Naruto said, falling silent again.

Sasuke frowned at Naruto’s reaction. “I'm going to ask Konan. She’s a friend of my brother’s.”

“She’s in the Akatsuki, right? With Itachi and Kisame?”

“Yes,” Sasuke answered slowly. “How do you know that?”

“Itachi was watching his band videos last night,” Naruto said, kicking his legs lightly.

Sasuke hummed and finished off his barbeque before standing. “Well. This was fun.”

“Yeah,” Naruto agreed, finishing off his food as well. “We should do it again sometime.”

Sasuke smiled lightly and pulled Naruto to his feet. “Yeah. We should.”

* * *

Itachi stood in front of the Konoha Police Department, his onyx eyes narrowed as he stared down the front of the building. His stomach tightened as he mentally prepared himself before finally pushing his way through the door and into the lobby.

The officer at the desk, a male with reddish-brown hair and amber eyes, recognized him almost immediately and stood. “Itachi Uchiha. Can I help you?”

“Fu,” Itachi greeted shortly. “Where is Chief Shimura?”

“Probably in a meeting,” Fu replied. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here.”

“When will he be out of his meeting?” Itachi asked, ignoring the last comment.

“Can’t say. But I’ll let him know you stopped by.” Itachi frowned and stared at Fu for a moment longer before he turned away. “Oh, Itachi,” Fu called after him. “Give my regards to Shisui.”

Itachi whipped around, a hateful fire in his eyes before he turned and left the police station. It was a long shot, Itachi knew, to expect to confront the chief of police given their history, but he still felt he needed to try. The Uchiha pulled his jacket tighter around himself and coughed lightly as he headed for his car that was parked nearby.

He was unlocking his car that was sitting by the park when he recognized two familiar heads standing by a bench. Itachi paused and watched his brother and Naruto interact before the two went their separate ways. The older Uchiha’s eyes followed the blond and he took a step forward to approach him before deciding against it and turning to follow his brother instead. The last thing he wanted was for Naruto to think he was following him. He picked up his pace a bit until he was in earshot of Sasuke. “Sasuke.”

Sasuke froze and turned, a slight frown on his face as his brother approached him. “What’re you doing here?”

“I had something to take care of,” he said. “I have the car nearby. Would you like me to drive you home?”

Sasuke considered the offer. It was starting to cool off as it approached evening and the teen honestly wasn’t in the mood to walk anymore. He frowned as Itachi fell into a light coughing fit and sighed in mild annoyance. “Fine. I really don’t need you getting sick again anyway. Your friends are annoying.”

Itachi couldn’t help but smile as Sasuke followed him to his car and the two of them drove back home.


	12. Arrival to Hi no Kuni

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12!!! Can't believe we're already this far into this story! Honestly, I can't see myself ending this any time soon, so I hope you're all still enjoying it. This chapter is quite a bit longer than my usual updates, but hopefully, you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! There's definitely some feelings in this chapter and a character from before makes a reappearance! Things are about to get tense in the romance world.
> 
> Also, just wanna make sure you're all handing your quarantine and self-isolating well. I hope you all are staying entertained and healthy!

**Chapter 12: Arrival to Hi no Kuni**

The next week and a half passed quickly and without much incident and soon it was the day of the class trip. Naruto bolted down the stairs with his packed suitcase and threw it on the ground by the door before running to Iruka’s room and pounding on the door. “Iruka! C’mon, we gotta go! Irukaaaa!”

Iruka opened the door to his room and smiled down at the blond. “I know, I know. I'm coming.” The brunet stepped out with his own suitcase and set it next to Naruto’s before turning to the latter. “Do you want to eat breakfast here or on the way to the resort?”

“What kind of a question is that?” Naruto asked. “On the way, of course! The sooner we get to school, the sooner we can leave!”

Iruka chuckled. “Fair enough. Let’s go.” The two of them picked up their baggage and made their way to Iruka’s car where they quickly loaded the vehicle and drove the short distance to the high school. Once they arrived, Naruto wasted no time in jumping out of the car and grabbing his suitcase out of the back seat.

Kakashi and Yamato were standing next to a large, black tour bus that was parked in front and lifted their eyes as Naruto ran up to them.

“Ah, Naruto!” Yamato greeted. “Good to see you!”

“Hey, Yamato-sensei,” Naruto said with a grin. “You, too, Kakashi-sensei.”

“Morning, Naruto,” Kakashi said, lifting a hand in greeting. “Is Iruka with you?”

“Yeah, he’s just getting his stuff together,” Naruto answered, dropping his bag next to the bus. “Is anyone else here yet?”

“A few of your classmates arrived a little while ago,” Yamato said, turning to point where a few other teens were gathered. “We’re just waiting on a couple more people and then we’ll be good to go.”

“Awesome!” Naruto exclaimed. “This is gonna be great!”

Kakashi chuckled as Naruto spun on his heels and bolted over to his friends. “He’s always so full of energy,” he mused.

“That’s an understatement,” Iruka said as he stepped up to two teachers. “He’s been talking about nothing but this trip for the past week. He was ready to go before I was.”

“Well, that’s certainly unusual,” Yamato said with an amused smile.

Iruka glanced at Yamato before nodding. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”

Meanwhile, Naruto made his way over to where Shikamaru and Choji were standing together talking. “Heya, guys,” he said, patting Shikamaru on the shoulder.

The brunet glanced at Naruto with a sigh. “What’s so good about it? We had to be here an hour earlier than usual. It’s such a drag.” Naruto laughed a bit before looking around. Shikamaru noticed and sighed again. “Sasuke’s not here yet if that’s who you’re looking for.”

Naruto’s eyes widened as he turned to Shikamaru. “Y-you’ve got it all wrong!” he said, his face darkening a shade. “I wasn’t looking for Sasuke! I was looking for Pervy Sage!”

Shikamaru smirked. “You seem a little defensive.”

Naruto opened his mouth to respond before a bright red pick up truck pulled into the parking lot. After a second, Jiraiya stepped from the driver’s seat while an older blonde woman stepped out from the passenger side. “Pervy Sage!” Naruto abandoned his spot by his friends and jogged over to a grinning Jiraiya.

“Hey, kid! Good to see ya.” Jiraiya ruffled Naruto’s hair, making the latter giggle.

“Good to see you, too, Pervy Sage,” Naruto said. His eyes moved to the blonde woman that stepped up to Jiraiya. “Who’s that?”

“Tsunade!” Sakura ran over to the blonde and wrapped her arms around the woman. “You made it! I didn’t know if you’d be back in town in time!”

“Of course I made it,” Tsunade said with a smirk. “It was a little close, I’ll admit, but this guy here made sure it happened.”

Naruto’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh! You’re the grumpy nurse from the hospital Sakura talks about!”

Tsunade frowned, her mouth twisted into an agitated smile. “Excuse me? Grumpy?! Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“Forgive him, Tsuna,” Jiraiya said, lightly smacking Naruto on the side of his head. “He seems to have left his manners at home.”

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow at Jiraiya. “You know damn well only my grandfather calls me ‘Tsuna’.”

Jiraiya smiled. “Right, right. I forgot you prefer me to call you by your other nickname. Eh, Cutting Boa—ow!”

Naruto and Sakura blinked in stunned silence as Tsunade punched Jiraiya in the back of the head before crossing her arms in annoyance. “Watch it, Jiraiya. Or I'm going to make this trip a living hell for you.”

“She’s scary,” Naruto whispered to Sakura who nodded slightly. A movement in his peripherals caught his attention and he turned to see Itachi’s car parking nearby. Blue eyes lit up as the two Uchiha brothers stepped out of the car, gathered their baggage and headed over to join the rest of the group. Naruto burst forward to meet the brothers, a huge grin splitting his face.

Sasuke was the first to spot the blond heading over to them and smiled slightly. “Morning, loser.”

Naruto didn’t even flinch at the nickname. “Sasuke! You’re finally here! We were waiting for you guys!” He fell into step between Sasuke and Itachi before a thought occurred to him. “Hey, where’s Konan?” He cocked his head as Sasuke’s face fell, his onyx eyes turning away from the blond.

“Konan came down with bronchitis,” Itachi explained, glancing at Sasuke. “She texted me last night asking if I could fill in for her as a chaperone.”

Naruto’s face brightened. “Awesome! I mean, not awesome for Konan; being sick totally stinks, but now you can come with us, Itachi!”

Sasuke let out a small, disgruntled huff. “Yeah, it’s great,” he mumbled.

“Naruto! Sasuke!” Iruka waved down the two teens and motioned for them to hurry. “Come on, the bus is loading!”

“Let me have your bag, Sasuke,” Itachi said, holding his arm out. “I’ll load it while you get on.”

Sasuke groaned lightly but handed his bag over anyway before grabbing Naruto’s arm and pulling him toward the bus entrance. “Let’s go.”

Itachi watched his brother drag Naruto away before taking the luggage over to the small group of adults that were standing next to the bus. Iruka was the first to notice the Uchiha and stepped over to him. “Good morning. Are you with one of the students?”

“Yes,” Itachi said, setting down the bags. “My name is Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke’s brother.”

“I thought you looked like him,” Yamato said as he held his hand out to shake Itachi’s. A smile came to his face as Itachi accepted it. “I must admit, I wasn’t aware you would be coming on this trip with us.”

“My friend, Konan, was originally supposed to come,” Itachi explained. “However, she became sick and asked that I fill in for her. I hope that’s alright.”

“Works for me,” Kakashi said casually as he stuck his hands in his pockets. “We needed another chaperone, so I don’t see the issue.” He watched as Yamato picked up the new luggage and loaded it into the bus. “I think that about wraps things up here. What do you guys say we get on the road?”

“Sounds good,” Iruka said. “I promised Naruto we’d stop to get breakfast on the way. He was too excited to eat before we left.”

“No need to worry,” Yamato said as they made their way over to the students. “Kakashi and I brought more than enough snacks and drinks to last the entire trip.”

Naruto had allowed himself to be pulled back to his friends and the majority of them were actively engaged in a conversation about video games when the chaperones joined them. The blond’s face instantly lit up as he turned to them. “Is it time to go?!”

“It’s time,” Kakashi confirmed. “Everybody on the bus.”

After about ten minutes, the bus was filled with lively, excited, chattering teenagers and a handful of adults that were steadily beginning to regret their decision to chaperone.

“Okay, everyone, settle down,” Iruka called from the front of the bus. His words fell on deaf ears as the teens continued talking among themselves. “Hello? Settle down, guys!”

When the students still failed to respond, Yamato stood and faced the students. In an instant, his face darkened, his eyes widened, and his mouth set into a thin line. “Quiet down.”

The bus was silent in seconds as the students stopped talking and settled into their seats. Iruka nodded his thanks to Yamato before turning to face the students again. “Okay, now it’s going to take us a few hours to get to the resort, so make sure you’re sitting next to someone you like because once we get moving, there’s no changing seats.” There was a moment of chaos as the students shuffled around into different seats before they settled down again. “Okay, now, Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-sensei have graciously prepared a bounty of snacks and drinks for the trip so if you want something, don’t be afraid to ask. We’ll announce rules and rooming arrangements once we get to the resort, okay? Any questions?”

When multiple shaking heads answered Iruka’s question, Kakashi stood next. “Okay, then. I think that pretty much sums everything up. Who’s ready to get going?” Cheers filled the bus, earning a chuckle from the silveret before he turned to the bus driver. “If you would, please. On to the resort.”

* * *

An hour had passed since the bus had left Konoha High School. Naruto was sitting next to Sasuke, tapping away at his handheld game console. The raven was sitting with his head tilted slightly so it was resting against the headrest as he watched the blond. Onyx eyes glanced up at Naruto’s face and his mouth tilted up slightly as he took in the determined frown and the way the blond’s tongue poked out between his lips as he concentrated.

Naruto paused his game and looked up as Sasuke hummed in amusement. “Sasuke? What’s up?”

Sasuke shook his head slightly. “Nothing,” he answered. He glanced down at his bag at his feet before looking back up at Naruto. “Hey, Naruto—”

“Naruto!” Shikamaru’s head suddenly appeared over the seat. “Hey, what gives? You disappeared right when we were about to fight the boss.”

“Ah, sorry!” Naruto said, turning back to his handheld and resuming the game.

Sasuke frowned and leaned his head back again, his eyes turning to look out the window.

Itachi sat across the aisle, his eyes on his brother and Naruto as the two had their brief exchange. It had been a while since Itachi had seen that expression on anyone’s face, let alone his brother’s. It was an expression he knew well…almost too well. And the last time he’d seen it had been…

“Hey.”

Itachi looked up as Jiraiya peered at him from over the back of his seat. “Yes?”

“You’re an Uchiha, right?” Jiraiya asked.

Itachi forced his face to remain neutral. “I am.”

“I figured as much,” Jiraiya said with a grin. “That Sasuke kid looks just like you. You must be the older brother Naruto’s always talking about.”

Itachi failed to keep the surprise from his face. “Excuse me?”

“Yup.” The older male rested his chin on the headrest. “Kid hardly shuts up about you. Although…” Jiraiya’s face turned serious for a moment as he stared at Itachi.

Itachi cocked an eyebrow slightly. “Although?”

“Nothin’, nevermind!” Jiraiya said, a grin back on his face. “Forget I said anything!” And he disappeared back into his own seat.

_‘That was…odd,’_ Itachi thought before turning his attention back across the aisle. Naruto was back to tapping away on his handheld, every once in awhile yelling something back at Shikamaru who appeared to be playing the same game. Itachi smiled and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back and drifted into a light sleep.

* * *

It was a little after one in the afternoon when the bus pulled up to the doors of Hi no Kuni Mountain Resort. Iruka pulled himself to his feet as an excited commotion broke out among the students. “Remain in your seats until we give the okay,” he ordered. He then turned to chat with Kakashi and Yamato who had also just stood.

Itachi had awoken about ten minutes earlier but was still trying to mentally rouse himself as the bus rolled to a stop. He blinked drowsily and turned as another body plopped down next to him.

“Itachi!”

The sight of the blond next to him threw Itachi into a startled silence as his waking brain tried to process his surroundings.

Naruto giggled. “You’re really not a morning person, are you?”

Itachi groaned lightly but smiled nonetheless. “It takes me some time to wake no matter what time of day,” he admitted, shifting so he was sitting straight. “I see we’ve arrived.”

“Yeah!” Naruto exclaimed as he stretched his arms over his head. “Finally! That trip took forever!”

Itachi’s face remained soft as he watched Naruto before he leaned back to look across the aisle. Naruto caught his line of vision and turned around as well. “Oh, Sasuke’s sleeping, too,” he said. “You two really are two peas in a pod, y’know?”

“Okay,” came Kakashi’s voice from the front of the bus. “Chaperones, please join us at the front of the bus so we can get the agenda and sleeping arrangements in order.”

“Why don’t you go wake Sasuke,” Itachi suggested as he stood. “I’ll see you both in a moment.” The raven hesitated for only a second before he lightly patted Naruto’s head and stepped away.

Naruto’s cheeks flushed at the contact before he shook his head and hopped back over to Sasuke. “Sasuke, wake up!”

Sasuke groaned as Naruto shook his shoulder and blinked open his eyes. “We there?” he mumbled.

“Yup!” Naruto answered, standing again. “C’mon, everyone’s getting ready to get off the bus.”

As if on cue, Yamato spoke up from the door. “Okay, everybody off!”

A few minutes later, Kakashi, Yamato, and Iruka were standing in the middle of the chattering teenagers and other chaperones. Iruka stepped forward and held his hand up. “Alright, guys, settle down. It’s time for room announcements. Now, we’re going to be on the third floor. If you forget that, just remember that every room number is going to have a three in front of it, okay? Now, Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-sensei will be in room 300. I will be in room 301 along with Jiraiya. Ms. Senju,” he turned to Tsunade, “I’ll have you in room 302. Itachi Uchiha, room 303.”

Excited gasps broke out between Sakura and Ino as Iruka announced the older Uchiha’s name. “No way!” Sakura squealed. “I didn’t you had an older brother, Sasuke!”

“Yeah,” Ino said. “You two look just alike!”

Itachi gave a hint of a nervous smile when Sasuke’s eye twitched in annoyance. No matter how true it was, Itachi knew full well how much his little brother hated being compared to him.

“Moving on,” Iruka said, flashing Sakura and Ino a warning look. “The students will be broken up into groups as well. Shikamaru and Choji will be in room 304. Kiba and Shino room 305. Girls, you’ll be in room 306. And finally, Sai, Sasuke, and Naruto room 307. Now…”

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged glances as Iruka announced their room. For once, neither one of them had anything to say. There was a light sigh next to them and the two turned to face a skinny, pale teen dressed in a black crop top and black jeans.

“Great,” the teen said, placing his hands on his hips. “I can already taste the sexual tension.”

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow while Naruto stepped forward. “So, you’re Sai?” he asked. “I’ve never seen you in our class before.”

“Obviously, it’s because you don’t pay attention,” Sai countered with a frown. “That and I’m usually helping Yamato-sensei in the office.”

“Well, aren’t you fun,” Sasuke said, stepping so he was next to Naruto.

“And you two clearly don’t know how to move things along.”

Cerulean eyes blinked in confusion. “Move things along?” Naruto repeated. “What do you mean?”

“Clearly it’d be a waste explaining it to you,” Sai sighed. “I’ll see you both upstairs.”

Naruto watched him go before turning to Sasuke. “Sasuke, do you know what he meant by that?”

Sasuke kept his eyes aimed ahead, a light pink dusting his cheeks. “Nevermind that, Naruto. Come on, it looks like we’re going in.”

Sure enough, everyone had gathered their luggage and were on their way into the resort. Itachi made his way over to Sasuke and Naruto, his arms loaded with their bags as well as his own. “Shall we?”

Naruto hopped over to Itachi and took his bag. “Thanks, Itachi!”

“Of course,” Itachi said before holding another bag out to Sasuke.

“Thanks,” Sasuke muttered as he took his bag and the three of them headed for the resort.

The rest of the class was waiting at the elevator to the third floor when Yamato joined them. “The resort has graciously offered to provide us with the three basic meals of the day,” he announced to the students. “That being said, dinner will be served in two and a half hours at 5 p.m. sharp. Anyone who’s late,” his face darkened menacingly, “will answer to me.”

“Y-yes, Yamato-sensei!” the startled students agreed before cramming themselves into the elevator.

Kakashi chuckled at the sight and nudged Yamato. “Easy, Tenzo, you’re going to give them nightmares.”

“Kakashi!” Yamato whispered harshly as they turned toward the stairs. “I told you not to call me that in public!”

* * *

Naruto exhaled as he stepped out of the shower and shook his head, sending droplets of water scattering throughout the bathroom. It was half an hour until the hotel’s announced dinner time and the blond had decided to clean up before heading down. Naruto grabbed a towel from a shelf and quickly rubbed it over his body before pulling on his boxers, a pair of black shorts, and a white T-shirt. He emerged from the bathroom a moment later and spotted Sai sitting on one of the beds with a book in his lap. “Hey, Sai,” he greeted.

The male’s eyes rose for only a second before dropping to the book again. “Sasuke’s not here. He headed down already.”

“Oh, uh, okay,” Naruto said. “I’ll see you down there then.” When Sai simply hummed in response, Naruto shrugged and left the room, making sure to close the door behind him. “Man, that guy has some serious personality issues,” he mumbled.

Before long, Naruto exited the elevator on the first floor and headed toward the assigned dining room to meet up with his classmates.

“Naruto! Naruto is that you?!”

The blond skidded to a stop and turned to see an older teen walking toward him. The male had spiky brown hair and dark eyes lined with violet eyeliner. Naruto blinked before his face lit up. “Kankuro!” he called, running over to the male. “What’re you doing here?”

“Heh,” Kankuro chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Funny story about that…”

“Naruto.”

Naruto’s eyes widened as a familiar redhead stepped from behind Kankuro. “G-Gaara.”

Gaara smiled as he moved in front of Naruto and held out his hand. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said.

“Uh, y-yeah,” Naruto stammered as he took Gaara’s hand in his own. “My class is here on a class trip. What’re you doing here?”

Gaara fell silent and dropped his eyes to their connected hands. “What indeed,” he mumbled.

“Don’t get shy now, little brother,” Kankuro teased as he threw an arm around Gaara’s shoulders. “Go on, tell him!”

Gaara glanced at Kankuro before turning his eyes to a confused Naruto. “Your birthday.”

Naruto’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“You heard him,” Kankuro said, patting his brother’s back. “We’re here for your birthday. Well, to be honest, we were on the way to Konoha for your birthday. We just decided to stop here for the night.”

“Seriously?!” Naruto asked in disbelief, releasing Gaara’s hand in the process.

“Yes, seriously.” A female with teal eyes and blonde hair pulled into four, spiky pigtails joined the males and placed a hand on her hip. “Gaara wouldn’t let us hear the end of it unless we came to personally wish you a happy birthday.”

“’Course,” Kankuro laughed, “now we’ve run into you here, so that saves us the trouble of driving five more hours.”

Pink dusted the bridge of Naruto’s nose as he looked back at Gaara. The latter was staring at him, unusually quiet even for the normally reserved teen.

Kankuro and the female exchanged amused glances before they turned away. “We’ll leave you two alone for a bit,” the brunet mused. “C’mon, Temari.”

“Come up to the room when you’re done,” Temari called over her shoulder as she and Kankuro walked away.

Gaara looked over his shoulder as they left before looking back to Naruto. “It’s good to see you again,” he said.

Naruto grinned bashfully. “Yeah, it is! I can’t believe you came to meet me for my birthday!”

“Of course, I did,” Gaara replied. “You mean a lot to me.” The comment made Naruto blush even more, earning a light chuckle from the redhead.

“Hey, Naruto. It’s time to eat.”

The two teens turned to see Sasuke and Itachi standing at the doorway to the dining hall. Sasuke had his arms crossed against his chest, his onyx eyes narrowed threateningly at the redhead while Itachi’s face remained neutral, though his posture was a bit more rigid than usual.

Naruto turned back to Gaara with an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, Gaara, I gotta go. Yamato-sensei’s gonna let me have it if I’m late for dinner.”

“Of course,” Gaara said. “I’d hate for you to get disciplined because of me. That being said…Why don’t we meet tomorrow for lunch?”

“Tomorrow?” Naruto repeated before his eyes widened. “Oh, tomorrow! My birthday! Yeah! I mean, yes! For sure!”

Gaara smiled and took Naruto’s hand again, causing the nearby Uchihas to bristle at the action. “Tomorrow then.” And he turned away to follow his siblings.

“See you tomorrow!” Naruto called after him. The blond turned around and startled at the tense postures of the brothers behind him. “What’s wrong with you two?”

Sasuke huffed in annoyance as Itachi sighed lightly. “Nothing at all, Naruto,” the older replied. “Come, you need to eat.”

Naruto’s head cocked in confusion but followed the two anyway to fill his growling, and now fluttering, stomach for the night.


	13. Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, all my lovely readers! Once again, I hope you all are staying safe, healthy, and entertained as this virus thing continues on. I'm updating a day earlier than I planned simply because my laptop has to be sent out for repairs and I'll have missed my deadline by the time it returns >>;;
> 
> Okay! So, this chapter is one of the longer ones and is one of my favorites!! I hope you guys enjoy the fluffiness as much as I do and remember: The main dish is coming and coming soon. Hang in there! <3

** Chapter 13: Birthday **

Naruto had been way too excited to actually fall into a deep enough sleep to last the entire night, so he was awake even before the sun’s rays could peek through the curtains. The blond rolled onto his back and kicked the blankets off his body before sitting up.

A light groan sounded from next to Naruto and he turned to see Sasuke peering up at him through half-lidded eyes. “What’re you doin’?” Sasuke mumbled.

Naruto shifted so he was leaning over Sasuke and beamed. “It’s my birthday!” he loudly whispered.

Sasuke hummed, reached for the covers Naruto had kicked off, and swiftly pulled them up and over his head. “I know,” came the muffled reply. “But breakfast isn’t even ready yet. Lay back down.”

Naruto stared at the lump Sasuke had become before looking across the room at Sai’s bed. The other teen was still asleep as well and, given his attitude yesterday, Naruto had no interest in being the one responsible for waking him up before he was ready. The blond let out a resigned sigh and wiggled his way back under the covers of the bed he shared with Sasuke.

The Uchiha pulled the covers down under his chin, his mouth tipping upward slightly at the childish pout plastered on Naruto’s face. “Hey,” he said, causing Naruto to face him, “your birthday’s not canceled, knucklehead. Lighten up.”

“Yeah,” Naruto mumbled. “I know.” His face fell back into a pout as Sasuke rolled over, presumably to go back to sleep. The blond sighed lightly and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Sasuke telling him to go back to sleep was easier said than done, even with the warmth of the other male’s body radiating to his side of the bed as if coaxing him back into slumber.

Naruto’s phone vibrated on the floor next to the bed and he leaned over the edge in time to see he had a text message before the screen timed out. Naruto reached down and swiped the screen, his eyes lighting up as he realized it was from Gaara.

_‘Good morning. I wanted to be the first to tell you Happy Birthday. I’ll see you later today.’_

Naruto smiled and tapped the power button to turn his screen off again. He pulled himself back onto the bed and looked over at Sasuke. The raven’s breathing had slowed enough that Naruto could tell he had already fallen back to sleep. Naruto huffed and returned to his previous position of lying on his back. Maybe, he thought, he would be as lucky as Sasuke sleep would overtake him again, too.

The next time Naruto woke, it was to a fully dressed Sasuke shaking his shoulder. “Hey, loser, get up. It’s time for breakfast.”

Naruto slowly pulled himself up and stretched his arms above his shoulders. “Guess I went back to sleep after all.”

“Obviously,” Sai piped up from across the room where he was getting dressed. “But your snoring kept the rest of us from doing so.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes before looking back at Naruto. “You don’t snore,” he said. He turned to leave the room and Naruto could have sworn he heard the other mutter “much” under his breath.

“I heard that!” he called after Sasuke as he rolled out of bed to get dressed. He was ready and out the door in minutes, making a beeline for the elevator while hoping he wasn’t the last one to breakfast.

Most of the students were already in the dining hall by the time Naruto arrived, though a couple of the chaperones seemed to be missing, including a certain older Uchiha. Sasuke was already seated at the table and looked up as Naruto walked in and motioned to an empty seat next to him. Naruto grinned and moved over to take the seat. “Thanks, Sasuke.”

“Mhm,” Sasuke said as he took a sip of milk.

“Have you eaten yet?”

Sasuke shook his head and set down his glass. “No, I was waiting for your snail of an ass to get down here.”

“Hey!” Naruto objected, but he settled as Sasuke smiled at him.

“I’m teasing, Naruto.”

Words failed Naruto and he crossed his arms and slouched into his chair more. At that moment, Itachi drowsily stepped into the dining hall, followed closely by Yamato and Kakashi. The older Uchiha immediately honed in on the closest coffee pot and poured himself a cup before absently sitting across from Naruto and Sasuke.

“Morning, Itachi!”

The older Uchiha lifted his head, his expression mildly surprised to see the blond across from him. “Good morning, Naruto. Sasuke.”

Sasuke frowned and got to his feet. “I’m getting food,” he told Naruto. “I’ll be right back.”

Naruto watched Sasuke leave with his head slightly cocked before turning back to Itachi. “How did you sleep, Itachi?”

“As well as one could away from home,” Itachi answered before taking a sip of his coffee. A single, dark eyebrow rose as he noticed the empty space in front of Naruto. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I guess,” Naruto mumbled. “But, Itachi, your food is so much better than this stuff!”

“Naruto!” Iruka called from nearby. When Naruto turned to him, he frowned. “Watch what you say. I don’t care if it is your birthday, the resort went through a lot of trouble for you guys, so show some appreciation!”

“Yes, Iruka-sensei,” Naruto sighed, leaning back into his seat again.

Itachi had lowered his head to hide the smile that came over his face as Naruto complimented his cooking, but dark eyes shot up again at the mention of Naruto’s birthday. “Your birthday?” Itachi repeated. “Naruto, your birthday is today?”

Naruto grinned at Itachi and nodded as Sasuke came back to his seat. “What, didn’t you know?” Sasuke taunted as he sat with a smirk.

Itachi frowned lightly and brought his coffee back to his lips in an effort to hold his tongue. He didn’t have to try hard since Yamato took the moment to stand and clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention.

“Okay, good morning, everyone!” The brunet’s face fell as his greeting was met with mumbled responses and he cleared his throat before displaying his trademark “ghoul face”. “I said good morning.” The next round of student greetings was a bit more enthusiastic and Yamato nodded in approval before shooting a frown at a chuckling Kakashi. “Okay, so today you guys are pretty much free to do as you wish. Check out the hot springs, go explore the resort’s tourist area, whatever. Just be sure to be back here for dinner at 5:00 sharp. After dinner, you may visit the hot springs again if you like but be back in your room by 11:00.”

“And if you _do_ decide to sneak out after then,” Kakashi spoke up, “just be sure we don’t catch you.”

“Kakashi!” Yamato scolded the silveret as the students giggled. “There are other chaperones besides Kakashi and me,” Yamato reminded. “So, think twice before you do something stupid. Alright, finish breakfast and you’re on your own.” The brunet sighed and cast a glare at Kakashi which was easily diffused with a smile and a gentle pat on the arm.

Naruto laughed lightly before facing his friends. “So, what’re you guys going to do today?” He groaned when Sasuke frowned and Itachi simply stared into his coffee. “What, seriously? You guys don’t wanna do _anything_?”

“Hey, Naruto!” Blue eyes lifted to see Shikamaru waving at him. “C’mon, the guys are gonna hit one of the springs!”

“Coming!” Naruto called before turning back to the Uchihas. “You guys should come with us. It’ll be fun!”

“In a bit,” Itachi replied as Sasuke said, “Whatever.”

Naruto either didn’t notice or chose to ignore the way Itachi and Sasuke stared each other down and chased after his friends to the spring.

***

Naruto sighed contently as the steaming water covered him to his chin. He opened one eye to glance over at Sasuke who was sitting in the spring with water only halfway up his chest. “Sasuke, you should get all the way in!” he encouraged. “It feels good.”

“No thanks,” Sasuke said with a sideways glance. “I’d prefer not to overheat.”

“Suit yourself,” Naruto said, lowering himself deeper until the water level was just beneath his eyes.

“It was cool of you to join us, Sasuke,” Shikamaru said. “I don’t think we’ve all gotten the chance to really hang out since you moved to Konoha.”

“Hn,” Sasuke answered. “It’s not like there’s anything to do up in the room anyway.”

“Hey, isn’t your brother here?” Kiba asked. “Where’s he at?”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t particularly care to know.”

“I see you guys don’t get along very well,” Shino said quietly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as the glasses-wearing teen and lowered himself deeper into the water. “No,” he said. “We don’t.”

“I dunno why,” Naruto said. “Itachi’s really cool! He’s always cooking when I go over there. And he makes the _best_ food!”

“I’m sold,” Choji said as he shoved a handful of potato chips into his mouth.

“Choji,” Shikamaru half sighed. “You know you’re not supposed to eat in the hot spring.”

“But I’m hungry!” Choji objected.

Naruto laughed as Shikamaru and Choji continued their debate before leaning over the edge of the spring to check the time on his phone. “Oh crap!” The blond bolted out of the spring, causing five pairs of startled eyes to turn to him.

“What’s the matter with you?” Shikamaru asked.

“I gotta go,” Naruto said, wrapping a towel around his waist. “I’m supposed to meet Gaara in twenty minutes!”

Shikamaru’s face instantly turned to one of understanding. “I gotcha. See ya later, then.”

Naruto waved at the guys in the spring before dashing away. Sasuke’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown as he watched Naruto go.

“That Naruto,” Shikamaru sighed, though it was fonder than usual.

Sasuke noticed and turned to face the brunet. “Hey, Shikamaru. Who is this Gaara guy anyway?”

“Hm?” Shikamaru blinked at Sasuke before leaning back against the edge of the spring. “Well,” he started, “Gaara and Naruto met in middle school about five years ago. The two of them were loose cannons, always at each other’s throats. They actually got physical a couple of times. So, sometime during our last year in middle school, they really got into it and messed each other up pretty good. They both had to go to the hospital for a few days for broken bones and stuff. It was insane.”

Kiba laughed. “Insane? Shit was brutal. I thought they were going to kill each other.”

“So, what happened?” Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru smiled and stared up at the sky thoughtfully. “They fell for each other,” he said. “Naruto decided one day that the two of them fighting was completely pointless and made it his goal in life to become Gaara’s friend. By the time they left the hospital, they were joined at the hip. Nothing could get between them. But…”

Sasuke frowned. “But what?”

“Gaara moved away,” Shino said. “Right before our freshman year of high school.”

“Naruto was devastated,” Kiba said, his eyes dropping to the water. “I didn’t think he’d ever get over it.”

“Yeah,” Shikamaru said. “Naruto did eventually move on though it took a while. But even now, if Gaara’s involved, Naruto will drop everything for him in a heartbeat.”

***

Naruto impatiently hopped in place as the elevator descended to the first floor. Cerulean orbs fixated on the display above the door as the floor numbers changed much too slowly for the blond’s liking. Finally, the elevator jolted as it hit the ground floor and the moment the doors slid open Naruto bolted through them into the lobby.

Gaara was standing nearby, his hands clenched behind his back as he slowly paced the lobby. Seafoam eyes lifted as the elevator chimed and he smiled as Naruto ran up to him. “You made it.”

“’Course!” Naruto panted through a grin. “Wouldn’t miss it for anything!”

The redhead turned and held his hand out to Naruto which the latter eagerly took in his own. “Let’s get going,” he said. “We have a reservation.”

Naruto’s fingers tightened excitedly around Gaara’s hand and he allowed himself to be pulled along. The two left the resort and traveled down the street to the small tourist city surrounding it. Before long, they came to a fancy restaurant that Naruto paused to gawk at when Gaara turned to it. “Wait…is this…?”

Gaara looked over his shoulder at the blond. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…This place is so _fancy_,” Naruto said, suddenly feeling severely unworthy.

“Naruto,” Gaara cut Naruto off by gently squeezing his hand. “Let me do this for you. For your birthday.”

Naruto shifted nervously but nodded. “Okay.”

Gaara seemed pleased with Naruto’s change in heart and guided him through the door of the restaurant. Immediately, they were approached by the hostess who took one look at the teens’ joined hands and beamed. “Table for two?” she asked sweetly.

Naruto blushed while Gaara nodded. “We have a reservation. Under Sabaku.”

“Oh!” The hostess stepped back to her podium and ran her finger down a list. “Here you are. Gaara, right? This way please.” After gathering a couple of menus, she led the two to a small booth and stepped to the side as they slid in across from each other. “Can I get you guys anything to drink?” the hostess asked after setting the menus on the table.

“Just a water for me, please,” Gaara said.

“Um…” Naruto shifted in his seat and flipped the menu over to see the drinks. “Uh, raspberry lemonade, please.”

“I’ll have those right out for you,” the hostess chirped before turning away.

Gaara turned his eyes onto Naruto as the latter stared into his lap. The redhead gently tapped his foot against Naruto’s leg which made the other look up. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Naruto said quickly. “I…I’m just nervous I guess.”

“Nervous?” Gaara repeated. “Naruto, you do realize we’ve been in more compromising situations than this, don’t you?”

Naruto’s face flushed at the memory of their most recent outing. “Oh,” he laughed. “Right.” That seemed to relax Naruto enough and he turned his attention to flipping through the menu in front of them. “They have ramen!” he exclaimed after a moment.

Gaara chuckled lightly. “I made sure before I made the reservation,” he said.

Naruto looked up and grinned. “Gaara, you’re the best. You know that?”

Gaara looked down to hide the slightest hint of the blush that touched his cheeks and opened his menu. “Thank you, Naruto.”

After a few minutes, Naruto was happily slurping from a large bowl of ramen while Gaara delicately picked at a sushi roll with his chopsticks. Naruto sighed as he swallowed a bite and chased it down with his drink. “This is seriously the best ramen I’ve ever had. It might even rival Ichiraku!”

“I’m glad,” Gaara said. He suddenly turned to the side to rummage through a messenger style bag he had worn into the restaurant.

Naruto blinked in confusion and leaned forward so he could peek over the table. “Hey, what’re you—” Before he could finish, Gaara straightened up and set a box wrapped in shimmering, red gift wrap on top of the table. Blue eyes flashed from the box to Gaara’s face. “What’s this?” he asked.

“A present,” Gaara said simply as he slid the present across the table. “Open it.”

Naruto stared at Gaara for a moment longer before pulling the present onto his lap and tearing it open. His eyes widened at the contents before he looked back up in awe. “Gaara…” Naruto reached into the box and gingerly picked up the item inside to get a better look at it. It was a nine-tailed, glass fox about eight inches tall with red glass tipping every tail and each of the ears.

Gaara watched Naruto’s expression carefully as he tried to gauge whether the blond’s reaction was positive or otherwise. “I had it custom blown from the sand back home in Suna,” he said. “Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Naruto burst. “Thank you!”

Gaara smiled, clearly proud of himself as Naruto carefully placed the fox back in its box. The two finished off their lunch and Gaara paid for the meal, though Naruto _profusely _objected, and the two began their walk back to the resort. Occasionally, Gaara would glance at Naruto as the blond clung tightly to his present, his eyes full of nothing but pure affection. Once, Naruto met his gaze and when Gaara held his hand out, the blond took it without hesitation and intertwined their fingers.

It was nearly 3:00 by the time the two returned and Naruto hesitated as they turned for the elevator. “Hey, Gaara,” he said, causing the other to turn around. “Why don’t we hang out a little longer? I-It’s just…we don’t get to see each other much, so I thought…”

Gaara noticed the way Naruto trailed off before looking away and tugged Naruto’s hand in response. “It’s your birthday,” he replied as he stepped into the elevator, pulling Naruto with him. “We can do whatever you like.”

Naruto’s face brightened and the two rode the elevator to the second floor where Gaara and his siblings were staying.

Kankuro was absorbed in his phone when the two walked in and cocked an eyebrow at their still connected hands. “Well, well, well. Looks like everything went okay after all.”

“Of course it did,” Gaara replied as he led Naruto deeper into the room.

“Right,” Kankuro chuckled. “So. How’d you like your present, Naruto?”

Naruto’s face pinked a few shades as he glanced at Gaara. “It was the best,” he said.

“Quit teasing him, Kankuro,” Temari scolded as she stepped out of the bathroom. “Geez, you’re the absolute worst.”

Kankuro grinned then cocked an eyebrow at his sister’s casual outing appearance. “Where’re you going?”

“I don’t see why it matters,” she huffed, “but I’m meeting someone.”

“Oh?” Kankuro said surprised. “Who?”

“A guy from the third floor.”

“That’s our floor,” Naruto chimed in, suddenly interested. “Who is it?”

“Don’t be so nosy!” Temari retaliated as she turned on her heels to leave the room. “See you guys later.”

Naruto laughed before he and Gaara moved to sit on the bed with a cackling Kankuro. “So what’re you up to?” Naruto asked.

“Nothing really,” Kankuro sighed. “There’s not much to do when you’re alone with your sister all day.”

“Do you have any cards?” Naruto asked.

Kankuro tilted his head in thought. “You know what? I think I do!” He rolled over to hang off his bed and fumbled around in a bag before pulling out a deck of cards. “Here we go! Whaddya say to a little game of poker? Gaara, you going to play, too?”

Gaara turned around on the bed so he was facing his brother and crossed his legs. “Of course. Prepare to lose.”

“Oh, them’s fighting words!” Kankuro said, shuffling the cards. “Alright, let’s do this!”

***

The sun had already set by the time the boys finished their game. Naruto leaned back against Gaara’s shoulder, a goofy, giggling mess as Kankuro gathered up the cards. “Gaara was right,” Naruto teased. “You totally lost!”

“You lost, too, brat!” Kankuro countered with a pout. “It’s not my fault Gaara has the poker face of a god.”

Gaara shrugged. “I told you.”

Naruto laughed again and glanced at his phone before groaning lightly. When Kankuro and Gaara turned to him in confusion, he smiled apologetically. “Sorry, guys, but I gotta go. I totally missed dinner and I’m sure Yamato-sensei’s gonna come looking for me any minute.”

“Dang,” Kankuro replied. “Well, it was good seeing you again. Happy birthday, kid.”

“Thanks!” Naruto said as he scooted off the bed.

Gaara stood as well and waited for Naruto to gather his belongings before walking him to the door. “You have your present?” he asked.

“Sure do!” Naruto said, holding up the box his fox was safely tucked inside.

“Good.” Gaara then placed a hand on Naruto’s arm, stepped closer and gently kissed the corner of the blond’s mouth. “Sleep well, Naruto,” he said softly. “Happy birthday.”

Naruto grinned, his cheeks rosy from the sign of affection. “You, too, Gaara. I’ll see ya later. Night!” Once Gaara closed the door behind him, Naruto made his way back to the elevator and up to his room on the third floor. He could hear voices from the other rooms, so it was safe to assume his classmates had to be back from dinner. Luckily, his ramen from lunch was still sitting with him so he wasn’t too hungry when he opened his door.

“Where the hell have you been?!” Sasuke bombarded the blond the moment he entered the room, causing him to jump and almost drop his present. Dark eyes moved to the item in Naruto’s arms. “What’s that?”

“None of your business,” Naruto replied with a frown as he slid past the raven. “Geez, what crawled up your ass?”

“You missed dinner,” Sasuke retaliated, following Naruto to the bed. “What, were you out with that other guy?”

Naruto turned to face Sasuke, an eyebrow cocked in confusion at the other’s words. “Who, Gaara? Yeah, I was with him. What’s it matter to you?”

Sasuke stuttered slightly and crossed his arms. “It doesn’t,” he said. “I assume he’s the one who gave you _that_.” He pointed accusingly at the package Naruto set on the nightstand.

“Yeah, he gave me a present,” Naruto said, an annoyed edge to his tone. “You know, for my _birthday_! It’s what friends do!”

“I heard you’re more than friends,” Sasuke accused, dropping his hands to his sides.

“So _what_?!” Naruto couldn’t understand why Sasuke seemed to care so much about what he did on his own time. After all, it wasn’t like they were dating or anything. Oh. So that was it. “You’re jealous.”

“I am not!” Sasuke said, a little too defensively. “Why should I care what you do or who you do it with? It’s none of my concern.”

“Then quit acting like such an arrogant jerk!” Naruto yelled.

“Arrogant?” Sasuke repeated. “_Arrogant_?! You want arrogant? Fine, here it is.” He stomped around the side of the bed and picked up a gold gift bag that he threw at Naruto. “How’s that for arrogant? Happy birthday, asshole.”

Naruto glared at Sasuke’s back as the latter retreated to the bathroom before dropping the gift bag next to the bed. He turned around, curious as to why he hadn’t heard anything from Sai and realized the other male wasn’t in the room. Just as well, Naruto figured. He would have had some smartass thing to say about the whole situation anyway. The blond growled and left the room, slamming the door behind him for good measure to make sure Sasuke knew how pissed he was. He’d just go back to Gaara’s room. That’d show that stupid, brooding, asshole, son of a –

“Naruto?”

Naruto stopped walking but didn’t turn around. “Yeah?”

Itachi frowned lightly before he stepped out of his room and placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder. In an instant, he could feel how tense the blond’s body was which only verified what he was thinking. “I heard yelling,” he said. “I assume you had an argument with Sasuke.”

“So, what if I did?” Naruto mumbled.

Itachi exhaled through his nose before placing his other hand on Naruto’s other shoulder and gently turning him around. “Why don’t you stay with me for the night?” he suggested. When Naruto frowned up at him, he continued, “I noticed you were missing for dinner. It’d be unfortunate if you were to get in even more trouble for not being on the proper floor for curfew.”

Naruto opened his mouth to reply but decided against it and simply nodded. He allowed Itachi to steer him into the nearby open room and immediately sat on the first bed he came to, his face twisted into an uncharacteristic scowl.

Itachi sat on the other bed across the room and observed the blond. “Naruto,” he said, not really surprised when Naruto didn’t look at him. “I’m not sure what happened between you and Sasuke, but you shouldn’t let it get to you.”

“Easy for you to say,” Naruto countered. “You’re his brother.”

“Yes,” Itachi said slowly. “But you seem to forget that he and I don’t exactly get along.”

“I can see why,” the blond muttered.

Itachi smiled sympathetically and approached Naruto. His hand moved to pet the soft, blond spikes of hair as he knelt down so his face was level with Naruto’s. “Sasuke’s been through a lot in life,” he started. “And sometimes, he doesn’t know how to show how he feels. It’s something we have in common.”

For the first time, Naruto lifted his eyes to meet Itachi’s. “I don’t believe that,” he said. “I mean, you always know what to say.”

Itachi chuckled. “Maybe. But there are times that even I don’t know how to express myself.”

Naruto sighed and looked down at his hands. “Fine. But I’m still mad at him.”

“I’d be concerned if you weren’t,” Itachi said. “Now, I think it’s time you got some sleep.” He stood and moved back to sit on the other bed before turning on the TV.

Naruto crawled up his bed and shimmied under the covers before laying his head on the pillow. “Hey, Itachi?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks.”

Itachi let out a sort of sighing laugh as he leaned against the headboard. “Good night, Naruto.”


	14. Day of the Six-Mile Hike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone!! Got my computer back, at last, a couple days ago...they sure took their time repairing it, but hey everything was under warranty and free so I'm not complaining. These next couple weeks are going to be filled with me studying for finals, so I may or may not update the next chapter early...depends on how everything goes. 
> 
> As always, I hope you all are staying safe in these times and thank you so much to everyone that has given me kudos, bookmarked, and commented on this story. You guys are my support for keeping this going and I'm so glad you like it! And so, without further ado, here's the next chapter!

** Chapter 14: Day of the Six-Mile Hike **

Itachi came to a halt in front of a familiar house down the street from his own. He panted in an effort to catch his breath before pushing open the front door. He cautiously stepped inside, onyx eyes narrowed as he scanned the apparently empty living room.

“Shisui?” Itachi’s own echo was the only reply much to his dismay. He huffed in exasperation and continued throughout the house until he came to a slightly ajar door at the end of the hall. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he slowly pushed open the door and peered inside.

A choked cry sounded as Itachi stepped into the room, his eyes glued to a motionless figure in the middle of the floor. “…Shisui?” The raven edged forward, every step causing his intestines to tighten in despair and denial.

He finally reached the center of the room and hesitated before dropping to his knees. From this close, it was clear to see the figure was another person lying face down on the carpet with their arms splayed haphazardly and face turned away from Itachi. Itachi reached out a trembling hand and touched the body, pulling it back immediately at the chill on his fingertips. He braced himself, closing his eyes as he took a shaky breath, and rolled the body over...

Itachi jolted awake with a gasp as a cold sweat covered his body. He shifted to sit up but froze as a small moan sounded next to him. He lifted his head and blinked curiously as he recognized Naruto’s smaller form cuddled up against him. Itachi frowned in confusion before letting his head fall back against the pillow with a sigh. It had been months since he had last had that particular dream, but time hadn’t made it any easier.

Naruto shifted against Itachi and nuzzled his head against the latter’s bare chest. The action drew Itachi from his thoughts and he adjusted his arm so he could wrap it around Naruto’s shoulders. The blond sighed contently and Itachi smiled, momentarily distracted from the clenching sensation in his gut.

There was a series of quick vibrations from the nightstand and Itachi reached for his phone with his free hand, an inquisitive hum sounding in his throat when he realized Kisame was calling. “Kisame,” he greeted, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the blond on his chest. “Is everything alright?”

_“Well,”_ Kisame said slowly.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

_“Someone’s been here, Itachi.”_

“What?!” Itachi glanced down at Naruto as the teen mumbled something in his sleep and lowered his voice once more. “What do you mean?”

_“Someone’s been in your house, Itachi,”_ Kisame said, and Itachi could hear the shuffling of papers from the other side of the line. _“Hold on.”_

Itachi frowned as Kisame went silent. “What is it?”

_“There’s a letter here. Hang on, I’ll send you a picture.”_

Itachi pulled the phone away from his ear as it vibrated so he could open the picture message. He double-tapped the screen to zoom in and his eyes scanned the letter in the picture:

**You lost that which matters most the last time you ventured too close to the truth. Prying eyes should keep to themselves, lest you wish history to repeat itself.**

_“Can’t say who it’s from,”_ Kisame said. _“There’s no signature.”_

“I know who it’s from,” Itachi said softly, bringing the phone back to his ear. “Is there anything else?”

_“Not that I can see,”_ Kisame replied. _“Nothing appears to be stolen.”_

Itachi glared at the ceiling. “Then it seems his only intention was to threaten me,” he mumbled.

_“What was that?”_

“Nothing. Thank you, Kisame. We’ll be back home tomorrow.”

_“Sure thing, Itachi.”_

Itachi ended the call and dropped his arm over his face. This had to be the worst start he’d ever had to a day. A light yawn drew his attention and he smiled softly as Naruto blinked open his eyes. Well, maybe it wasn’t the _worst_ start.

Naruto rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before looking up at Itachi’s face. The blond’s eyebrows knitted together as he focused on Itachi’s face before he shot up. “Oh! Itachi! I-I, uh…You seemed like you weren’t sleeping well and I was cold, so I just thought…You know, since Sasuke and I share a bed, I figured…”

Itachi laughed softly as he sat up as well and ruffled Naruto’s hair. “I don’t mind,” he said. “As long as you slept well.”

Naruto grinned and nodded. “Yeah, I did.” He stretched his arms over his head causing his shirt to shift up slightly.

Itachi’s eyes dropped to the sliver of flesh before he cleared his throat and quickly moved off the bed. “It will be time for breakfast soon,” he said as he pulled on a shirt. “We should go.”

Naruto followed suit and left the bed as well. “Yeah, I should probably take a shower and change.”

Itachi’s head cocked ever so slightly. “Very well,” he said. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Naruto nodded and waved at Itachi before leaving the room. He closed the door behind him and turned to head back to his room but stopped as he came face to face with Sasuke. The two silently met each other’s eyes for what seemed like forever before Naruto turned without a word and made for the elevator. It wasn’t worth the confrontation, he decided. He’d shower after breakfast.

Sasuke watched Naruto enter the elevator, his eyes narrowing as the doors slid closed behind the blond. His gaze shot to the door he’d seen Naruto exit from, his expression harshening as Itachi stepped out. The older brother startled slightly at the sight of Sasuke but recovered quickly as he closed the door. “Good morning, Sasuke.”

“Spare me the pleasantries,” Sasuke replied, crossing his arms. “What was Naruto doing in your room?”

“Green is not a good color on you, little brother,” Itachi said, his tone low.

“And you’re avoiding the question,” Sasuke retaliated.

Itachi hummed in annoyance. His mood had already taken a turn for the worse from the moment he woke from his nightmare and dealing with his younger brother’s hostility was not on the top of his mood improvement list. “Sasuke, I’m not particularly in the mood. If you are so curious as to why Naruto was in my room, you can ask him yourself. Excuse me.” Itachi brushed past Sasuke to the elevator, leaving his brother steaming where he stood.

***

Naruto leaned back in his chair and exhaled happily as he patted his full stomach. Shikamaru smirked at his friend and poked him in the side. “I’m surprised you can even move after eating that much,” he teased. “Which reminds me, how was your date with Gaara yesterday?” The brunet cocked an eyebrow as Sasuke choked on his drink before he turned back to the blond.

“It was great!” Naruto said. “He gave me this really awesome present made from the sand of Suna and then we went up and played cards with Kankuro. Gaara won, of course, no surprise there. You know, I think you’d really give him a run for his money, Shikamaru. You’re both really smart and stuff.”

As Naruto rambled on about the events of his birthday, Itachi silently stared at his plate. He’d hardly touched any of the food in front of him, the events of the morning still eating away at him. His eyes lifted wearily as Naruto burst into laughter at something Shikamaru said and Itachi couldn’t help the slight upturn of his lips before his gaze fell back to the table.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was fine-tuned into Naruto and Shikamaru’s conversation, his onyx eyes burning with a mixture of emotion as he listened to the blond chatterbox. The only thing that finally pulled his attention away was Iruka standing at the head of the table.

“Good morning, everyone,” the brunet greeted. “Today we’ll be taking a hike up the main mountain of the resort. I noticed a few of you are still in your pajamas so take a moment to change and meet back in the lobby in thirty minutes.”

Naruto threw his head back with a groan and rubbed his belly. “We have to _walk_?” he whined.

“Looks like it,” Kiba said as he walked past. “Should’ve known we wouldn’t be able to lounge about in the bath today.”

There were a few mumbled agreements from the other teens as they stood and made their way back to the rooms to change.

Thirty minutes later, the class and its chaperones were standing in the lobby. Iruka stepped forward, clipboard in hand, and looked among the students. “Is everyone here?” he asked Kakashi.

Kakashi quickly pointed to each of the students as he mentally counted before giving Iruka a thumbs up. “All here,” he reported.

“Great,” Iruka said. “Everyone, follow me, we’re off!”

The group left the lobby and walked around the edge of the resort to the head of a hiking trail where they stopped again. This time, Yamato was the one to speak up. “From here, we’re going to separate into smaller groups,” he announced. “Each group will be led by a chaperone. We’ll all travel up the mountain together but this way, it’ll be a little easier to keep track of everyone. So, with Kakashi, we’ll have Sai and Sakura. Ms. Senju, if you could lead Ino and Hinata, please? Shikamaru and Choji, you’ll be with Iruka. Jiraiya will be with Sasuke and Shino, and finally Naruto and Kiba with Itachi. Okay, let’s split up and get moving. We have a lot of land to cover before this evening!” The students split into their assigned pairs with the chaperones and together they began the trek up the mountain.

Naruto fell into step alongside Itachi and peered up at the latter’s face. The Uchiha’s eyebrows were knitted together troublingly while his gaze fixated on the ground as he walked. Kiba jogged over to Naruto’s side and nudged him with his elbow. “Is he always like this?” the brunet asked. “He seems different from what you told us the other night.”

Naruto frowned lightly and shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “I mean, he’s usually quiet, but nothing like this. He must be in a bad mood.”

Itachi heard the two students whisper but couldn’t bring himself to outwardly acknowledge their concerns. How could he when images of his dream kept flashing through his mind and making his heart ache? He groaned, his frown becoming just a touch more pronounced.

Naruto cocked his head and blinked at the odd sound before reaching out and tapping Itachi’s arm. “Hey, uh, Itachi?” Itachi’s eyes flashed to Naruto, but it was only for a second before they resumed their previous obsession with the ground. There was no doubt about it; Itachi was definitely in a foul mood.

Sasuke trailed behind Jiraiya, his arms crossed as he watched Naruto’s attempt to catch Itachi’s attention. “What does he see in him?” he muttered to himself.

“Well, from what I’ve heard,” Jiraiya said over his shoulder, “he’s got quite a knack in the kitchen.”

Sasuke frowned. Clearly his question hadn’t gone completely unheard by the blond’s godfather. “What’ve you heard?” Sasuke pressed.

Jiraiya grinned. “I just told you. He’s got a knack for cooking. Naruto’s easy to get a feel for as long as you feed him.”

“Is that all he likes him for?” Sasuke asked.

“Not sure it’s my place to say,” Jiraiya answered.

“I don’t think it’s your place to say _anything_,” Tsunade commented as she came up to his side. “You’re hardly the person to be examining relationships.”

“Now that hurts, Tsunade,” Jiraiya mock whined. “After all, we’ve had some nice times together, haven’t we?”

“None I care to remember now,” Tsunade countered. She then looked past Jiraiya and smiled at Sasuke. “Good to see you on your feet,” she said. “I don’t know if you remember me or not, but I’m the nurse that took care of you last month.”

“Oh,” Sasuke said. “Yeah. Thanks for that.”

“It was no problem at all,” Tsunade said, looking pleased. “I’m glad the incident didn’t seem to permanently affect that sweet face of yours.” She laughed as Sasuke frowned and averted his eyes. “Yep, can’t say I didn’t see that coming.”

Twenty minutes had passed when Naruto hit his peak of boredom. Itachi still hadn’t said two words to him and Kiba since they class started the hike, much to the boys’ chagrin.

“This blows,” Kiba muttered at one point. “I’m walking with Shino.”

Naruto watched as his friend walked away and spared a glance at Itachi before picking up his pace with a heavy sigh. This really was turning out to be the most uneventful hike ever.

The sound of quickened footsteps finally drew Itachi’s attention from his distraction. His eyes flickered ahead of Naruto briefly before he stepped forward and grabbed the back of the blond’s collar, jerking him to a stop.

Naruto yelped and glared up at Itachi’s face. “What was that for?!”

Itachi pulled Naruto back another step and pointed at the ground in front of them. “You nearly stepped on _that_.”

Blue eyes followed the direction of Itachi’s finger before widening. On the ground, just a few feet in front of the two was what looked like a burrow overflowing with striped, stinging, buzzing ground wasps. A low whimper left him as he backed away, nearly flush against Itachi.

Itachi placed his hand on Naruto’s back and nudged him around the nest. “You need to watch where you’re going,” he gently scolded.

“Yeah,” Naruto agreed, and a silence fell between the two as they began walking again. “Hey, Itachi?” he said after a while.

Itachi hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t look at the blond.

“Are you okay? You’ve been acting weird today.”

Itachi’s steps faltered slightly as he glanced at Naruto. “What?”

“You’ve. Been. Acting. Weird,” Naruto repeated, enunciating every word. “What’s up with you today?”

“Nothing,” Itachi answered, a little too quickly. “I…had a rough morning.”

“Rough, huh?” Naruto tilted his head slightly as he tried to think what could have gone wrong. Realization suddenly him. “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.”

The apology finally earned the blond a full head turn in his direction. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“For the bed thing,” Naruto explained. He lowered his voice and added, “You know…me in yours and stuff…”

Itachi smiled slightly and shook his head. “Naruto, my shit of a morning had nothing to do with you.”

Naruto blinked up at Itachi, a little surprised at the curse word that spouted from the Uchiha’s mouth. He was usually so calm and proper. “It didn’t?”

“No, it didn’t.” His eyes flashed with an emotion that Naruto couldn’t quite place before they softened again. “I worried you, didn’t I?” Itachi placed a hand on Naruto’s head and gently rubbed the blond’s hair. “I’m sorry.”

Naruto grinned at the touch and shrugged. “Ah, it’s no big deal. I’m just glad you’re okay now!”

Itachi smiled in return, his hand sliding to the back of Naruto’s head and hovering there for a moment before dropping back to his side. “Come on. The rest of the class has nearly left us behind.”

***

Naruto groaned loudly as he and his classmates finally made it back to the resort. The way up and down the mountain had each been three miles with a lunch break in between, resulting in a nearly five-hour-long trek that made it close to 3:00 pm by the time they returned.

“My feet hurt!” Naruto wailed as they stepped into the lobby.

“Quit your bitchin’,” Kiba snapped, though he seemed to be just as worn out as the blond judging by the way he trudged to the elevator.

Sasuke stepped into the lobby a few minutes after Naruto and Kiba. He looked around, pleasantly surprised to see that Itachi didn’t seem to be around the blond which provided the perfect opportunity to approach Naruto...And to apologize for his less than amicable attitude the past couple days.

“Itachi!”

Sasuke jolted to a stop as Itachi joined Naruto in the lobby. The older brother smiled gently as Naruto continued to whine about how exhausted and hungry he was, which only served to irk Sasuke to his very core. How was he supposed to apologize now?

“You seem to be quite interested in Naruto.”

Sasuke nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice before he narrowed his eyes at the redhead next to him. “What d’you want?”

Gaara glanced at Sasuke before turning his eyes back to Naruto and Itachi. “You look like him,” Gaara said. “Who is that?”

“My brother,” Sasuke muttered.

“He seems happy.”

“Which one?” Sasuke asked.

Gaara merely hummed, his arms folding lightly over his chest as he watched Itachi fondly tap Naruto on the forehead. “I see…”

“See what?” Sasuke asked. But he didn’t get an answer as Gaara simply walked away from him and headed for the elevator.

By the time dinner came around, Naruto was more than ready for the day to be over. He trudged out of the elevator and into the dining hall where he flopped into the closest empty chair he could find. Choji was already digging into the food spread while Shikamaru watched next to him, and the two of them looked up as the blond sat next to them.

“Hey,” Shikamaru greeted. He cocked an eyebrow when Naruto grunted in response. “You okay?”

“My legs still hurt,” Naruto complained.

“Tell me about it,” Choji said around a mouthful of food. “That hike was a crime against humanity.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes but even _he_ had to admit he was not feeling all that great after their six-mile adventure.

Sasuke appeared in the hall a moment later and, after a quick glance at Naruto, sat down across from the blond. Naruto’s eyes flickered to Sasuke only for a moment before he turned his attention back to his two brunet friends next to him. He’d have to remember to apologize to the Uchiha later…maybe.

Outside the dining hall, Itachi stepped into the lobby from the restroom and prepared himself to join the school party for dinner when a voice stopped him.

“Excuse me.”

Itachi paused and turned towards the voice, forcing himself not to react at the sight of the teenage male he’d seen Naruto with two nights ago. “Yes?”

“Forgive me for approaching you so suddenly,” Gaara said. He took a few steps forward and glanced into the dining hall before his eyes flickered back to Itachi. “My name is Gaara. Naruto is a very dear friend of mine.”

“Is he?” Itachi’s eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to fully face Gaara.

“He is,” Gaara confirmed. “I care for him more than I could ever express with mere words.” He paused and dropped his gaze slightly. “I only wish for him to be happy.”

Itachi stared at Gaara, his features giving away only the slightest hint of confusion. “And why exactly do you feel the need to tell me this?” Gaara lifted his head again and Itachi was surprised to see a sad smile on the other’s face.

“My chance has passed,” Gaara said softly. “Suna is far from Konoha…too far. I love Naruto but I also know how difficult trying to maintain such a long-distance relationship would be for him. He’s a very affectionate and personal individual; putting an entire country between the two of us would be detrimental should we actually pursue more than we have.”

Itachi’s arms crossed. “Have you told him this?” he asked. “Shouldn’t he have a say in the matter?”

“That _would_ be ideal,” Gaara admitted, looking toward the dining hall. “But…we’ve been through this before. I’m afraid it might send him over the edge when I leave for home this time.”

“Then why even come all this way?” Irritation laced Itachi’s words as his fingers tightened on his arms. “Why even tease him with the prospect of a relationship?”

Gaara’s mouth set into a line. “Yes, it does seem cruel, doesn’t it? I suppose my intentions were nothing short of my own selfishness.” His arms folded over his chest as he sighed. “However,” he cocked his head slightly, “I saw the two of you when you came back. The way you look at Naruto…you care for him as well, don’t you?”

Itachi didn’t respond.

“If that’s the case, can I ask you to do something for me?”

The Uchiha’s brow furrowed. “And what, pray tell, would you want me to do?”

“Take care of Naruto.”

Itachi’s expression cleared. “What?”

“I won’t repeat myself,” Gaara said. “Just promise me you’ll do it. I won’t be able to relax until I know for sure.”

Itachi opened his mouth to respond then closed it again. Could he really do what this kid was asking of him? He’d known Naruto for all of a month…just under a month if one were to be technical. How could he possibly take care of someone he’d known for such a short time? But, if he was being honest with himself, Itachi _did_ care for Naruto – perhaps more than he should have.

“I’ll do what I can,” Itachi said finally.

The answer was vague, but it seemed to be enough for Gaara who visibly relaxed. “Thank you.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” Itachi said, turning toward the dining hall. “I’m not doing this for you. I simply refuse to have Naruto so deeply hurt.”

Gaara hummed thoughtfully. “That is why I thank you.”

Itachi’s eyes lingered on Gaara for only a second more before he made his way to the doorway of the dining hall.

“Hey, Itachi!” Naruto had just finished eating and jogged up to greet Itachi as the latter entered. A curious hum sounded in his throat when he saw Gaara standing alone in the lobby. “I’ll see you later, Itachi,” he said before running over to the redhead. “Gaara! What’re you doing here?”

Gaara had been facing away from Naruto and took a breath before turning to the blond. “Hello, Naruto. How was dinner?”

“It was great,” Naruto said. “But now I’m ready for bed. What about you?”

“I came to say goodbye,” Gaara said, keeping his expression even as Naruto’s eyebrows arched sadly.

“Already?” Naruto asked. “But we haven’t even seen each other for that long and we’re not leaving until tomorrow! We can still…we can still spend time together, right?”

Gaara stepped forward and placed his hand on Naruto’s arm. “My siblings and I are leaving back for Suna first thing tomorrow morning,” he said. “But I wanted to make sure I talked to you properly before we did.”

Naruto’s gaze dropped to the ground. “Yeah…I guess.”

Gaara’s hand moved from Naruto’s arm to his cheek. “I truly enjoyed spending your birthday with you, Naruto.”

Naruto’s eyes brightened. “Yeah! Maybe next time I’ll come visit you in Suna!”

Gaara smiled. “I look forward to the day,” he said. His thumb gently stroked Naruto’s cheek and he frowned lightly as Naruto leaned into the touch. “Naruto.”

The sound of his name caused Naruto to turn his head slightly and when he did, Gaara leaned in and gently touched his lips to the blond’s. The kiss was brief, only a couple seconds, but it was enough to make Naruto’s cheeks burn. When Gaara pulled away, Naruto’s heart was beating a million miles per minute. “I’ll miss you,” he nearly whispered.

“I’ll miss you as well,” Gaara said, letting his hand fall. “Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight.”

Naruto nodded. “I will,” he said. He watched as Gaara made his way to the elevator and sighed as the doors closed behind his friend. “Dammit,” he muttered. “This sucks.” He watched the number above the elevator change before sighing and trudging toward the stairs. He was on the third floor before he realized, and it only took another minute to reach his room and unlock the door.

Inside the room was dark and quiet when Naruto entered and when he flipped on the light, he saw he was the only occupant. It was fine; he needed a moment to clear his head anyway. Naruto flopped onto his bed and stared at the carpet. Gaara had left again. And, although they had parted ways before, for some reason this goodbye felt different. It almost felt permanent.

Naruto sighed. This really did suck. A shimmer in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he frowned as he saw Sasuke’s present to him sitting on the floor where he left it. He hesitated before leaning down and pulling the bag up into his lap to shuffle through the tissue paper inside. Blue eyes widened as his fingers encountered something hard and when he pulled out the item, he came face to face with a brand-new handheld video game console. “What the…? Sasuke…he really got this for me?” Guilt weighed in his chest as he placed the console back in the gift bag. “Guess Sasuke wasn’t the arrogant one after all,” he muttered to himself. He set the bag down with another sigh and slid under the blankets, pulled them over his head, and attempted to find sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hurts my heart so much. And it's only going to get worse from here...Hope you're all prepared ;3


	15. Return to Konoha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, all!! I'm so sorry I'm a day late. Finals are really kicking my butt and I spent all day yesterday studying for the test I'm about to take in...-looks at time- 12 minutes. FYI, in case you were wondering, Pharmacology stinks. Like seriously. But this is my last test so after this I should be back on track!! ...Unless life/school/work has other surprises...
> 
> Anywho, this chapter is pretty short, but it's got some feels. I may or may not have actually shed a tear writing the end of it. I know for SURE some people are going to be super frustrated and confused and you probably won't like me much after this, so I apologize in advance haha. But if it's any consolation, the next chapter (or two) are going to explain EVERYTHING, so just hang in there a little longer ;3

** Chapter 15: Return to Konoha **

Naruto awoke Sunday morning to find Sai packing up his belongings. The blond sat up and rubbed his eyes before blinking sleepily at the other. “Mornin’, Sai.”

Sai glanced up and sighed. “You two really should get a move on. We’re going to be leaving soon.”

Naruto hummed inquisitively before turning to see Sasuke still asleep next to him. He turned his attention back to Sai as the latter pulled his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.

“Seriously, get up,” he said. He opened the door a crack then paused and looked over his shoulder at Naruto. “I don’t know what happened and, personally, I don’t care, but you two really need to settle whatever your issue is.” And he was gone.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Naruto mumbled with a sigh. He rolled off the bed, taking care not to wake the raven next to him and made his way to the bathroom. By the time he finished relieving himself and returned to the main room, Sasuke was awake and working on packing his things.

Sasuke lifted his eyes and there was a long moment of silence between the two as they held each other’s gaze before Sasuke finally broke the silence. “So…”

“Yeah,” Naruto said. “So.”

There was a shared paused followed by a mutual, “I’m sor—” The two stopped midsentence as they heard the other speak. Naruto burst into nervous laughter while Sasuke groaned lightly and averted his eyes. Naruto was the one to break the silence the next time.

“Sasuke, I’m sorry. Like, really, _really_ sorry.”

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as he looked up again. “Why are you sorry?” he asked, genuinely confused by the blond’s apology. Sasuke had been the one acting like a jerk this entire time…hadn’t he?

“I’ve been kinda an asshole,” Naruto said, dropping his gaze to his feet. “I didn’t think about how you felt at all.” Sasuke stared at him in silence so Naruto continued. “And…and I called you arrogant which totally isn’t true because you got that awesome present for me and I don’t even know how you _knew_ that was what I wanted, but it was and I’m just so happy and sorry and…Sasuke, you forgive me, right?”

Sasuke blinked. And blinked again. And then erupted into a fit of laughter.

Naruto looked up, his face full of confused emotion as Sasuke’s body shook. “What? What’s so funny?”

Sasuke abruptly stopped laughing and met Naruto’s eyes with a smirk. “You dummy. Of course, I forgive you. It’s not like I’m innocent in all this either.”

“But—”

“Come on,” Sasuke cut Naruto off and lightly smacked his shoulder. “We gotta go.”

Naruto hesitated but turned with Sasuke and the two got to work packing their bags for the trip home. It was another twenty minutes before they finished and made their way to the lobby where they were immediately confronted by Kakashi.

“You boys sure took your time, didn’t you?” he asked.

“Sorry, Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto said with a grin.

Kakashi chuckled and ruffled Naruto’s hair. “Go give your bags to Yamato and get on the bus, you knucklehead.”

Sasuke chuckled as the two passed Kakashi. “So, I’m not the only one that thinks you’re a knucklehead.”

Naruto flashed Sasuke a playful glare. “’Course not! It’s like my MO, y’know!” The two got to the bus and handed their bags to Yamato who promptly loaded them. “Thanks, Yamato-sensei! See ya!”

“Hey,” Sasuke said as they stepped on to the bus. “I never said anything before, but you’re pretty friendly with the teachers, aren’t you?”

“Huh?” The question caught Naruto off guard, and he frowned slightly as they made their way down the bus aisle to their seats. “Well…it’s kinda a long story.”

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as Naruto sat and settled himself next to him. “We have a five-hour ride back home,” he pointed out.

Naruto laughed lightly and sighed. “Yeah…” He glanced up to Sasuke who was still staring expectantly at him. “You really wanna know that bad, huh?”

“I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Sasuke said, leaning into his seat as he faced the front of the bus.

Naruto leaned back as well and was quiet for only a moment longer. “Y’see…my parents died when I was little,” he started. “Kakashi-sensei was friends with my parents, so he used to watch me whenever they had to go out of town. After my parents died, Iruka-sensei took me in and pretty much raised me in his home so that’s why we’re close. And then Yamato-sensei’s really good friends with Kakashi-sensei, so I guess I just kinda know him by default, y’know?”

Sasuke hummed thoughtfully. “So basically, you’re like the teachers’ pet.”

“Geez, Sasuke, you don’t have to say it like that,” Naruto said indignantly. “It’s not like I’m a dog or something.” He pouted as Sasuke laughed again but it softened as the bus began rolling away from the resort. He was just glad to have Sasuke as his friend again.

* * *

Sasuke waved to Naruto before sliding into the passenger side of his brother’s car. Itachi had already said his goodbyes to the blond and had been waiting patiently for Sasuke to join him. “Ready?” he asked as Sasuke closed the door behind him.

“Yeah.”

Itachi put the car in gear and began the drive home. The brothers were quiet for a time before Itachi finally broke the silence. “I see you and Naruto made up.”

“Yup,” Sasuke said as he stared out the window.

“That’s good,” Itachi said. “You need a friend like him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sasuke fired back.

“Just that you need a friend,” Itachi repeated.

Sasuke frowned and directed his attention back out the window. “Don’t make me seem like some kind of shut-in,” he said. “I had plenty of friends back home.”

Itachi frowned lightly at Sasuke’s reference to the Uchiha estate. “I’m aware.”

“If only _someone_ hadn’t screwed it up,” Sasuke muttered under his breath.

“Can we not do this?” Itachi said, his tone shifting slightly. “We just had a fantastic trip, let’s not ruin it now. I was simply commending your relationship with Naruto.”

Sasuke huffed and the two fell silent once again. It wasn’t until Itachi pulled into the driveway that Sasuke spoke up again. “You know, why _did_ we leave anyway?”

“You know why,” Itachi said simply as he unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the car.

“No, _you_ know why,” Sasuke said, getting out as well and walking around to where Itachi was gathering their bags from the backseat. “You never actually gave me a reason. I always assumed it was because of the band. Was that really it?”

Itachi paused and met Sasuke’s eyes for only a second before he closed the car door and started for the house.

“Itachi!” Sasuke called after his brother as he followed. “Itachi, answer me!”

Itachi remained silent and unlocked the front door before pushing it open. He set the bags on the couch and disappeared into the kitchen as Sasuke entered the house and closed the door. Sasuke paused in the living room before the sound of dishes rattling caught his attention and he stepped into the kitchen.

“So that’s it?” Sasuke said. “You’re just going to give me silent treatment like always? ‘Sorry, Sasuke, some other time’. Is that it?” Itachi set a bowl on the counter a little harder than necessary and Sasuke knew he was close to a reaction. “You know, Shisui would have told me.”

“Do _not_ bring up Shisui,” Itachi said, his voice like ice as his hands balled into fists on the countertop.

“Why?” Sasuke pressed. “Why don’t you ever talk about him? He was your boyfriend and you act as if he never existed! It’s been six months, Itachi, you need to come clean!”

Sasuke’s choice of words caught Itachi’s attention and he slowly turned to face his brother. “What did you say?”

“You heard me,” Sasuke said, crossing his arms. “I know you knew of the rumors so don’t act like you never heard them. You know what I’m talking about, right? The ones that said you—”

“SASUKE!”

Sasuke was momentarily taken aback by the intensity of Itachi’s yell. It was a voice he only reserved for those one-in-a-million times he fully lost his temper; it wasn’t one that was typically directed at Sasuke. And in this case, it only egged the younger Uchiha on. “That’s it, isn’t it?” he said as his arms dropped to his sides. “It’s true?”

“I suggest you pick your next words _very_ carefully, little brother,” Itachi growled.

“And if I don’t?” Sasuke asked. “What, you’ll do to me like the rumors say you did to him? You’ll kill me, too?!”

Itachi’s fist slammed into the closest cabinet, sending splinters flying from the newly shattered wood. Sasuke didn’t move but kept his eyes on Itachi whose bangs were hiding his now downturned face.

“Get out.”

The words were barely audible but Sasuke heard. He glowered at Itachi before turning to leave the kitchen. “I always knew you had something to do with his death.” Then, without another word, Sasuke turned and left the house.

Itachi stared at the ground as the front door slammed behind his brother. He released the breath he had been holding but it came out much shakier than he anticipated as he began to weep. He slid to the ground, not bothering to check his hand that was now pulsing and dripping blood, wrapped his arms around his knees, and buried his face in his arms as he cried alone.


	16. The Past - Part One: The Birth of the Sun and the Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone, and happy summer!
> 
> As you may have realized, this story hasn't been updated in at least a month. If anyone is curious as to why, my father's health has been on the decline and that, in addition to everything else in life put this on the backburner. But! I'm back now! And I should be right back on schedule from here on out. 
> 
> The next few (like three) chapters are going to be flashback chapters...Hopefully, these will answer any questions you have about our boys' past! And what better way to start it off than with the birth of a certain hyperactive knucklehead.

** Chapter 16: The Past - Part One: The Birth of the Sun and the Moon **

_17 years earlier…_

Minato Namikaze strode down the halls of the Hokage mansion. He was on his way to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi, the head of Konoha, after a messenger arrived at his house with an urgent summons. The blond finally came to a stop in front of a set of double doors and firmly knocked.

“Come in.”

Minato pushed open the door and bowed his head in greeting as he entered. “Good morning, Lord Hokage.”

An elderly man looked up from his computer on a large desk and smiled kindly at Minato. “Come, come, Minato. I’ve told you before there is no need to be so formal.”

“I’m afraid it’s become a habit at his point,” Minato said, flashing the Hokage an apologetic smile. “You wanted to see me?”

Hiruzen glanced back at his computer screen and tapped a few keys on the keyboard before folding his hands on the surface. “Minato, we’ve known each other for some time now. Jiraiya has spoken highly of you ever since you were a young boy.”

Minato listened in polite silence, though his eyes widened slightly in curiosity at the mention of his old mentor. Where was the village leader going with this?

“I’m sure you’re wondering where I’m going with all this, aren’t you?” Hiruzen smiled as Minato chuckled. “Minato, the council and I have decided that you shall take my place as the next head of Konoha…as the next Hokage.”

“The…Hokage?” Minato repeated, stunned. “Seriously?”

Hiruzen nodded and leaned back in his seat. “As you know, the role of Hokage is usually passed down along family lines. The Senju family took charge during the founding of our fine city, and they passed it on to my own Sarutobi line. However, my eldest son’s lack of interest in the position, as well as your prowess as one of our government officials has caused a shift in tradition, if you will. The Namikaze family shall be the next head family line of Konoha.”

Minato blinked as he tried to process the news. “Uh,” he stammered. “Thank you, sir.”

“If I remember correctly,” Hiruzen continued, “you have a young wife at home. Kushina, right?”

Minato nodded as his face broke into a proud grin. “That’s right. Actually, we’ve just discovered Kushina is pregnant with our first child.”

“Is that right?” Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully. “Well, then. Why don’t you return home and tell Kushina the news? I’m sure she and your unborn child will be elated.”

“Yes, thank you, Lord Hoka—I mean, Hiruzen, sir.” Minato bowed his head again before turning and quickly leaving the room. He was halfway down the hall when another person turned the corner. Minato startled to a stop before recognizing the older black-haired man. “Assistant chief Shimura,” the blond greeted. “It’s good to see you.”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” the assistant police chief, Danzo Shimura, said. “Congratulations on your most recent promotion to Hokage.”

Minato chuckled. “Yes, thank you. I have to admit, it was definitely a surprise. I only hope I can live up to everybody’s expectations.”

“Yes,” Danzo said, his face unreadable. “Let us hope. If you’ll excuse me.” He walked around Minato and continued on his way, glancing over his shoulder as the blond left in the opposite direction. Danzo stopped as Minato turned the corner and narrowed his eyes before pulling out a cell phone and speed dialing a number. The line picked up on the second ring and Danzo looked around to ensure he was alone before speaking. “It’s me. Can we meet?” He was quiet as the other person spoke then, “Of course. Ten minutes.”

* * *

Kushina Uzumaki laid on her couch as she flipped through a baby supplies catalog. Her violet eyes lifted when the front door opened, and her face spread into a grin as her husband walked through the door.

“I’m home,” the blond called as he discarded his shoes by the door.

“Welcome home, darling!” Kushina greeted, jumping up from her spot and dashing over to him.

“Hey, hey, not so fast!” Minato said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Think of the baby.”

Kushina’s face fell into a pout and she huffed lightly. “Minato, I’m fine. Really. The baby’s not coming for another like six months, y’know.”

His wife's words didn’t faze Minato in the least bit as he gently guided her back to the couch. “Still. You should take it easy.”

Kushina rolled her eyes playfully but didn’t protest and pulled her legs up on the couch so she could stretch out. “So, what did the Hokage want?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Oh!” Minato said his face brightening. “You’ll never believe it. The Namikaze family is next in line for Hokage!”

Kushina’s jaw dropped. “Say what?”

“Yeah,” Minato chuckled. “I was pretty shocked myself.”

“But how?” Kushina asked. “I thought the Hokage was passed down through families.”

“It usually is,” Minato said. He moved over to the couch and lifted Kushina’s legs so he could sit next to her before laying her legs back down across his lap. “But I guess Asuma didn’t want the position.”

Kushina hummed thoughtfully and leaned forward so she could rest a hand on Minato’s cheek. “I’m proud of you, Minato. I really am, y’know?”

Minato smiled and placed a hand over the one on his face. “I couldn’t do any of it without you, my love.”

* * *

Danzo stood in front of the large doors that separated the Uchiha estate from the rest of Konoha. His eyes narrowed as he looked around, making sure there wasn’t anyone else around before moving along the wall of the estate until he came to a small hole in the wall. He took one more look around before slipping through the hole.

“You’re late.”

Danzo tensed and swung around to see a man with long, shaggy, black hair standing behind him. “Damn it, Madara. Don’t sneak up on me.”

Madara Uchiha turned and motioned at Danzo. “Follow me.”

Danzo obliged and fell into step behind Madara as the latter led the way through the trees until they came to a small, abandoned shack. “What is this place?” Danzo asked. He groaned when Madara didn’t answer and simply pushed open the creaking door before he slipped inside. “Very well. I’ll just follow.”

The inside of the shack was dark and damp with only faint streams of sunlight peeking through the tattered wood. Madara knelt down briefly in the middle of the room and when he stood again, he pulled with him a handle that opened a hidden floor room. “Shall we?” the Uchiha asked before disappearing underground.

The two of them continued down a long stone corridor until they came to a large, furnished room. Danzo hung in the doorway as Madara moved to one of many leather chairs surrounding a long table. “What is the meaning of bringing me all the way down here?” Danzo demanded.

Madara leaned back in his seat and smirked. “Where else could one plan a coup d’état in private?”

“A coup d’état?” Danzo repeated. “Against the Hokage?”

“That fool Hiruzen was never supposed to be Hokage,” Madara growled as he straightened. “The Uchiha should have been the permanent head family, but that damn Tobirama…” Madara trailed off before lifting his gaze back to Danzo. “Didn’t you have a similar view, Danzo?”

Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly and moved to sit across from Madara. “There was a time I yearned for the position of Hokage,” he admitted. “However, much like with you, Tobirama Senju had other plans and named the Sarutobi line as the next head family.”

Madara hummed and leaned back again. “Then we have a similar goal,” he said. “Tell me, do you still wish to be Hokage?”

Danzo arched an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m afraid I’m much too old to take the job now,” Madara said. “However, I still feel as though the Uchiha should have a sense of power in Konoha. What if your family were to take over as head of Konoha with the Uchiha being the main military branch?”

“I’m listening.”

“Join me,” said Madara. “Together we can eliminate those who stand in our way and take over as the rightful powers of Konoha.”

“But Hiruzen has already named the next familial line,” Danzo argued.

“That is of little importance,” Madara said with a wave of his hand. “The current line will fall, regardless of the family. So, do we have a deal?”

Danzo stared at Madara as he contemplated his options. It seemed like a win-win situation for the two of them. Of course, there would be a few casualties, but it was to be expected with the circumstances. Finally, Danzo hummed in affirmation. “Very well, Madara,” he said. “We have a deal.”

* * *

\- 6 months later -

“Hang in there, darling, you’re doing great.”

Kushina panted and blinked up at Minato with exhausted eyes. She flashed a weak smile before her eyes slammed shut as another contraction hit her body.

“Just a little more, Kushina,” Tsunade coaxed the redhead from the end of the bed. “You’re almost there, I can see the head.”

Minato squeezed Kushina’s hand as he looked upon his wife’s sweaty face. “You hear that? Our baby’s almost here. Just a bit more.”

Kushina’s fingers tightened around Minato’s in response and she whimpered again as she focused on pushing.

“Okay, Kushina,” Tsunade said. “It’s time. Just one more push!”

The redhead let out a pained cry as she pushed one final time, delivering her newborn at last. Tsunade took the baby and got to work stimulating him to breathe. Within moments, the room was filled with the sound of newborn cries. “Minato, get over here,” she ordered.

Minato hesitated with a glance at Kushina before dashing over to where Tsunade was holding the newborn. His eyes widened as he took in the blond head of hair and delicate baby features. “He has my hair,” he said softly.

“Minato! Pay attention!” Tsunade snapped her fingers in front of his face to bring him back to the moment. “I need you to cut the umbilical cord,” she told him as she handed him a pair of surgical scissors. “Right here. Okay?”

“Wait, you want _me_ to do it?!”

Tsunade sighed loudly. “Will you just get on with it? It’s your son!”

“Uh, right,” Minato stammered before slowly taking the scissors. He kept his eyes on Tsunade’s hands as she directed him where to cut before he quickly snipped his son’s cord. “Was that alright?! Is he going to be okay?!”

Tsunade’s face softened as she took the baby over to a small tub and gently wiped him clean. “He’s going to be just fine,” she said. She then picked up a nearby blanket and wrapped the baby in it before moving back towards Minato and Kushina. The blond immediately put his arms out to which Tsunade shot him a scowl. “The hell’s the matter with you? The mother gets to hold him first.”

Minato pouted pathetically but moved to the side so Tsunade could hand the baby to Kushina. The redhead cradled the boy against her chest before looking up at Minato with tearing eyes. “Minato…he’s gorgeous, y’know. Our son…It’s nice to finally meet you, little one.”

“What are you going to name him?” Tsunade asked.

Kushina and Minato swapped glances before they smiled. “Naruto,” Kushina said, burying her face into her son’s hair. “His name is Naruto.”

* * *

“What did you just say?!”

Itachi Uchiha looked up from his spot on the floor and directed his attention to where his parents were talking nearby. His mother, Mikoto, was facing his father, Fugaku, a surprised look on her face. Itachi blinked, wondering just what it was his father could have said that made her react so abruptly when the sound of crying filled the room.

Itachi’s attention immediately dropped to the three-month-old bundle in his arms and his face softened. “There, there, Sasuke,” he murmured as he began gently bouncing the baby. “Big brother’s here.”

“Itachi, take Sasuke into the other room,” Fugaku ordered.

The five-year-old glanced up, the most minuscule hint of a frown on his face before he stood and padded into his room and closed the door behind him. Itachi leaned against the door and slid down until he was sitting on the floor, taking care not to jostle the now quiet Sasuke. His parents had started their conversation again, and Itachi could pick up a few words here and there – something about his dad becoming the new head of the family – but he chose not to eavesdrop any more than that. He readjusted his brother in his arms and kissed the baby’s forehead. “Don’t worry, Sasuke. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

In the other room, Mikoto crossed her arms as she tilted her head slightly. “The new head of the Uchiha clan? Fugaku, that’s such a huge honor.”

“I’m aware,” Fugaku said, crossing his arms as well as he stared at the floor.

“You don’t seem all that happy about it,” his wife pointed out.

Fugaku hummed. “It’s not that. I’m more than honored Madara chose me to follow in his footsteps.” He paused and looked back at his wife. “It’s a tremendous responsibility…I doubt I’ll be home as often.”

“Ah,” Mikoto said, suddenly understanding. “You’re worried about the boys.” She giggled when Fugaku huffed and averted his eyes once more. “Don’t worry. They’ll be alright. Itachi’s growing up so well and Sasuke couldn’t have a better brother.”

The sound of vibrating came from the coffee table, effectively ending the exchange. Mikoto moved over to the table and picked up her phone to answer it. “Hello?” She was silent for a moment as whoever talked on the other line then, slowly, her face changed from considering to excited. “You’re serious! I’ll be right over!” She hung up the phone and spun around to grin at her husband. “Kushina’s had her baby!”

“You’re going to see her?” Fugaku asked.

“Of course, I am,” Mikoto said, pecking Fugaku on the cheek. “She’s my best friend. Itachi!”

A moment later, Itachi poked his head out of his room with Sasuke sleeping soundly in his arms. “Yes, Mother?”

“Come along, darling. We’re going to the hospital to see one of my friends!”

Itachi tilted his head slightly but followed his mother anyway as she rushed around to gather her purse and shoes. Whatever they were going for couldn’t have been all bad given how excited she was. He carried Sasuke out to the car and buckled the baby into his car seat before climbing over to sit next to him. A couple of seconds later, Mikoto was at the car followed closely by Fugaku.

“I’ll be back soon,” Mikoto said, sharing a kiss with Fugaku before she got in the car as well and drove away.

The drive from the Uchiha estate to Konoha General was a forty-five-minute drive and Itachi caught himself dozing off just moments before the car finally came to a stop. Mikoto stepped out of the car and moved around to get Sasuke from his car seat as Itachi unbuckled himself then waited until the older boy got out as well and took her hand.

Mikoto could hardly contain herself as they approached the receptionist. “We’re here to see Kushina Uzumaki,” she blurted out. “She just had a baby!”

“I’m sorry,” the receptionist said. “But visiting hours just ended and—”

“Just let her in,” a voice said.

Mikoto turned to see Tsunade standing nearby, her hands on her hips as she stared the receptionist down. “Tsunade!”

Tsunade flashed a smile to Mikoto and motioned for her to follow. “Kushina’s this way. Come on."

They hand only walked past a handful of doors when Tsunade stopped and slid open a door. Kushina looked up, her eyes brightening as Mikoto released Itachi’s hand and rushed over to her. “Miko! You’re here!”

“Of course!” Mikoto gave Kushina a one-handed hug, taking care not to squish Sasuke or the sleeping bundle in the redhead’s arms. “Is this him?! He’s so precious!”

“This is him,” Kushina said, running her hand over her baby’s hair. “His name’s Naruto.”

Mikoto beamed before maneuvering Sasuke so she could hold him next to Naruto. “Sasuke, this is Naruto. You two are going to grow up to be the best of friends.”

“You hear that, Naruto?” Kushina said softly. “Only a few hours old and you already have your first friend.”

“Oh!” Mikoto turned and motioned for Itachi to come closer. “Kushina, you remember my oldest son, Itachi?”

Kushina nodded and smiled at Itachi. “Of course, I do. You’ve gotten so big, y’know. I hear you’re a great big brother to Sasuke, is that right?”

Itachi looked up at Mikoto then back to Kushina with a small nod. “Yes.”

“That’s great. Y’know, Naruto doesn’t have a big brother. You think you can look out for him when he gets older the same way you do for Sasuke?”

Itachi blinked, his eyes glued to the blond baby in Kushina’s arms, then nodded again.

“Good,” Kushina said with a small sigh. “I’m glad.”

Mikoto smiled and pet Itachi’s hair. “We’re going to head back home,” she said. “You tell Minato he better take good care of you or else, got it?”

Kushina laughed lightly. “He always does.”

Her friend’s answer seemed enough to satisfy her so, after one final hug, Mikoto took Itachi’s hand and left the room leaving Kushina and Naruto to rest peacefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember! This is only 1 of (probably) 3 flashback chapters, so if you didn't get an answer in this one, hang tight, you will soon!


	17. The Past - Part Two: Throughout the Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! It's only been a week, but I'm back with the next chapter. Mostly because I couldn't stop writing and also because I won't be around next week to post on my actual update day. This chapter is when things kinda start taking off. It's long! And takes place over a course of...four-ish years. I didn't want to dwell too much on these flashback chapters because, well, they're flashbacks. And, let's face it: No one likes fillers. So here we go.

** Chapter 17: The Past – Part 2: Throughout the Years **

_12 years earlier…_

“Okay,” Minato said as he leaned back in his seat. “I think that about covers it.”

Fugaku mumbled an agreement as he straightened the stack of papers in front of him. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Minato. I know being Hokage takes up much of your time.”

“It’s no problem!” Minato assured the other man. “I’m just glad we can finally bring business with the Uchihas back into the city. Being made to live and do all dealings all the way on the outskirts of the city…whose idea was that anyway?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Fugaku said, getting to his feet. “Though I’m sure our predecessors had something to do with it.”

Minato hummed thoughtfully as he followed Fugaku’s lead and stood as well. “Well, those times are over,” he said. “Your family is just as valued in Konoha as any other.” He emphasized his statement with a smile and an outstretched hand.

Fugaku let out a brief chuckle and shook Minato’s hand. “I can see why Mikoto told me to come to meet with you. You’re a good man, Minato.”

Minato scratched the back of his head bashfully. “What? Nah, I just want Konoha to be the best it can be for everyone. No one should be separated simply because of their bloodlines.”

“I hope your son keeps that mindset,” Fugaku said. “We need more nonpatronizing people like yourself in this city.”

The two men pushed in their chairs and stepped out of the conference room of the Hokage mansion and down the hall. As they approached the elevator, the doors opened to reveal Kushina and Mikoto, each with a five-year-old hand in their own. Minato’s face immediately brightened at the sight of his son and he dropped to his knees as he held his arms out. “Naruto!”

“Daddy!” Naruto broke from his mother’s hold and crashed into Minato who wrapped his arms tightly around the boy before lifting him into the air.

Fugaku stepped over to Mikoto and Sasuke and gently ruffled Sasuke’s hair as he kissed his wife’s cheek. “Where is Itachi?”

“We were on our way to pick him up from school when we ran into Shina and Naruto,” Mikoto explained.

“I see.” Fugaku turned to face Minato and respectfully bowed his head. “If you’ll excuse me, sir.”

Minato shifted Naruto into one arm so he could wave with the other. “Of course. I look forward to seeing you next time.” Once the Uchihas disappeared into the elevator, Minato turned to Kushina. “Well? Shall we head home as well?” Kushina nodded as Naruto cheered and Minato nuzzled his son’s neck, causing the boy to explode in a fit of laughter before the three of them left as well.

* * *

Itachi sat on the steps of Konoha Private Academy as he drew circles on the ground with a stick. School had just ended and many of the other students had already left the grounds, leaving Itachi to wait for his family alone. The fifth-grader was more than capable of walking himself, but he learned early on that the highlight of Sasuke’s day was meeting his big brother to take him home, so here he was. The boy sighed lightly and dropped the stick so he could rest his chin in his hands. They were later than usual…

“Hey, you okay?”

Itachi looked up at the voice to see another boy with short, tousled dark hair looking down at him. He hummed lightly and turned his attention back in front of him.

“Hey now,” the other boy laughed. “That’s not very nice!” He sat next to Itachi with a light groan. “I’m Shisui, by the way. Shisui Uchiha.”

“Of course, you’re an Uchiha,” Itachi said, keeping his eyes forward. “You wouldn’t be here otherwise.” And it was true. Konoha Private Academy was school to only a small percentage of students outside of the Uchiha family.

Shisui laughed. “Okay, okay, fair enough. So, what’re you doing here by yourself? School’s over, shouldn’t you be heading home?”

“I’m waiting for my family.”

“Oh,” Shisui said with a nod. “Makes sense.”

There was a moment of silence before Itachi finally turned to look at Shisui. “Why are you here?”

“Hm? Oh, I was taking care of some stuff for one of the teachers,” Shisui explained. “I was going to go home myself until I saw a certain little boy looking so dejected and alone.”

Itachi cocked an eyebrow and looked away again. “I doubt I’m much younger than you.”

“Oh yeah?” Shisui hummed and leaned back on his hands. “Let’s see, I’m fourteen…You seem pretty mature, but you’re still kinda small…” He paused to grin at the indignant look on Itachi’s face. “I dunno, I think I’d peg you to be like ten or something.”

Itachi didn’t reply and just stared forward.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Shisui said. “Oh!” Itachi turned as Shisui started rummaging through his backpack before pulling out a small box. “Do you like sweet dumplings?”

Itachi frowned slightly as he stared at the box then slowly nodded his head.

“Figured you might. Not too many kids would pass up sweets.” Shisui opened the box and picked up a stick of dumplings that he handed to Itachi. “I brought too many to eat by myself so I might as well share them.”

“Thank you,” Itachi said softly as he began eating.

“Itachi!”

The boys looked up to see Sasuke running up to them. Itachi’s face instantly shifted to a smile and he stood so he could hug Sasuke. “Hi, Sasuke.”

Sasuke nuzzled into his brother before he spotted Shisui. “Who’s that?”

“Just someone,” Itachi said, turning Sasuke away. “Let’s go home.”

Shisui smiled as he watched the two interact. He could tell Itachi’s focus greatly revolved around his younger brother which was honestly a breath of fresh air. Shisui’s parents had died in a house fire when he was a baby, leaving him under the care of his grandfather, Kagami. However, Kagami soon became ill with a rare respiratory disease that left him in need of a ventilator until he finally passed in his sleep when Shisui was twelve years old.

Shisui sighed, a smile still on his face as he raised a hand in farewell. “See you later, Itachi,” he called.

Itachi paused and glanced over his shoulder – he was a bit taken aback since he hadn’t given the other his name – then took Sasuke’s hand and walked over to where their parents were waiting as he nibbled on the snack.

“Hey, Nii-san?” Sasuke said, tugging on Itachi’s hand. “Is that kid your friend?”

Itachi looked down at Sasuke. “What?”

“Is he your friend?” Sasuke repeated. “He gave you those dumplings, didn't he?”

“He did.”

Sasuke grinned. “Then he’s gotta be your friend! Only friends give each other snacks, right?”

Itachi laughed lightly. “I guess so,” he said before he finished off the last of his treat.

The next day after classes ended, Itachi found Shisui waiting for him in front of the school. The younger Uchiha frowned lightly as he approached the other. “What are you doing here?”

Shisui turned and grinned at Itachi before reaching out and ruffling the shorter boy’s hair, much to the latter’s dismay. “I didn’t want you to be alone while you waited for Sasuke.”

Itachi hummed and moved past Shisui so he could sit on the stairs. “You don’t have to stay,” he said, his eyes on the school’s entrance gate.

Shisui silently sat next to Itachi, an almost sad smile on his face. “Yeah, I do.”

Itachi noticed the slight inflection in Shisui’s voice and turned to face him. “Where…is your family?” he asked after a moment of silence.

Shisui glanced at Itachi before his gaze dropped to his feet. “They haven’t been around for a while,” he said softly.

Itachi briefly wondered about the meaning of the words, but the look on Shisui’s face said it all. “I’m sorry.”

Shisui shrugged and turned a grin onto Itachi. “It’s okay. It’s been like two years. I’m practically an adult now!”

Itachi’s mouth twitched as he fought a smile. “Yeah.” There was another long pause before Itachi spoke up again. “You can wait with me every day if you want,” he offered.

Shisui’s eyes widened slightly before he playfully nudged Itachi with his elbow. “Look at you, opening up! But…” He trailed off before giving Itachi a soft smile. “I think I’ll take you up on that. Thanks, Itachi.”

This time, Itachi let himself smile as he turned his attention back to the school’s front gates. “Of course, Shisui.”

* * *

Danzo frowned as Madara slammed his fist on the table. The two were in the secret meeting room of an abandoned shed to discuss a shift in their plans.

“Is it really that much of an issue?” Danzo asked as Madara began to slowly pace. “We were planning on joining Konoha and the Uchiha anyway, were we not?”

Madara shot a brief glare at Danzo before he started pacing again. “Not like this,” he grumbled. “This new agreement between Fugaku and the Hokage simply makes the Uchiha equals among the other residents. There will be no power behind the name.”

“You want equality with the power of the Hokage?”

“In a sense,” Madara answered. “Anyway, it seems there is a need to accelerate our plans.”

“But what you are wanting takes time,” Danzo said. “Time and more than just our two minds.”

Madara’s pacing slowed as he cocked an eyebrow. “You wish to bring in another?”

“I have my eyes on a boy,” Danzo said. “Shisui Uchiha.”

Madara’s eyes widened slightly as he processed the name. “Shisui…that whelp from Kagami’s line?”

“He’s smart,” Danzo explained. “With him on our side, we could very well make things move faster. However…”

“However?” Madara repeated.

“Shisui is only fourteen. The official drafting age for the ANBU is seventeen years of age.”

“Three years from now,” Madara muttered.

“Yes. I’m afraid the boy cannot be a part of the investigative division until then.”

Madara grumbled and dropped into the nearest chair. “I guess it can’t be helped then. We’ll wait for the boy…but that is the _last_ time I postpone my plans.”

* * *

_10 years earlier..._

The shrill sound of a whistle filled the chilled December air. The outside bleachers were filled to the brim with wild, screaming students as they cheered for their respective football team. Itachi and Shisui sat next to each other, their eyes on one of Konoha Academy’s students as they sprinted for the end zone. When the player crossed over and scored the touchdown, Shisui leaped to his feet as he yelled praises to the player.

Itachi cocked an eyebrow as Shisui settled down next to him again. “You really enjoy this game, don’t you?”

Shisui grinned. “What’s not to like about watching guys running back and forth as they slam into each other?”

Itachi huffed, his breath becoming visible as it rose from behind his scarf. “I guess.”

“Don’t be like that,” Shisui said, patting Itachi on the back. “It’s not that bad.” When Itachi didn’t respond, Shisui chuckled. “I know what’ll cheer you up.”

Itachi looked up as Shisui stood. “Where are you—”

“I’ll be right back,” Shisui said with a wink. “Keep on cheering for me, okay?”

Itachi groaned as Shisui squeezed his way past the other people in the row and disappeared. He pulled his coat tighter around himself and turned his attention back to the players on the field. It had been two years since he and Shisui first met, and it hadn’t taken long – just a few days of waiting together for Itachi’s family to come pick him up from school – before the two of them realized how much they enjoyed each other’s company. The past couple of years had been filled with them at each other’s houses playing board games, watching television, or simply reading books while music played in the background. Every once in awhile, Sasuke would tag along with Itachi when he went to visit Shisui, and it was those times the three of them would go out for pizza, to the movies, or to the nearby park. No matter the activity, they just seemed to be happy in each other’s presence.

“Holy shit. Itachi Uchiha?”

Itachi turned his head to see a teen with messy orange hair grinning at him. He was dressed in a school hoodie with the words ‘Konoha Academy’ printed on the front and a black scarf wrapped around his neck. Itachi frowned slightly. In the seven years he’d attended the private school, he’d never once seen this kid before. “Yes?” he answered at last.

“Oh! I was right!” the redhead exclaimed. “There’s so many of you Uchiha guys at this school, I was gonna feel like a real dunce if I got it wrong.” He moved over and plopped down next to Itachi. “Who'd’ve thought Itachi Uchiha liked football!”

“I don’t,” Itachi replied, still quite perplexed as to who this student could have been. “I’m just here for my friend.”

“Oh yeah?” the boy said. “I guess that sounds more like it. I’m Yahiko, by the way. Yahiko Ame.”

“Yahiko!” Itachi’s head swung around at the sound of Shisui’s voice as the latter joined them with couple sticks of steaming sweet dumplings in hand. The look of relief on Itachi’s face was enough to throw Shisui into a small fit of laughter. “Yahiko, could you not bombard my friend with your enthusiasm?” He motioned for Yahiko to scoot over, which the latter did instantly, and sat down between the two.

“I just wanted to meet the guy,” Yahiko half-whined. “Not my fault he’s a total downer.”

Shisui sighed and turned to Itachi so he could hand him the dumplings he brought back. “Sorry about him, Itachi. Yahiko’s a bit...animated.”

“Since when is that a bad thing?!” Yahiko objected. His eyes fell onto the dumplings and he pointed to himself. “Hey, hey, did you bring me some, too?”

“Nope, sorry,” Shisui said. “You gotta get your own.”

“What a bummer,” Yahiko sighed. “But alright. I’ll be back in a flash!” And he was out of his seat and part of the crowd in seconds.

Shisui chuckled and turned his eyes back to Itachi. “You okay?”

Itachi nodded, seemingly content now that he had something sweet to distract him.

The referee’s whistle suddenly sounded again, signaling the end of the quarter. “One quarter left,” Shisui said. “Should I take you home?”

Itachi shook his head and took another bite. “I’m fine.”

“That’s the spirit,” Shisui said, patting Itachi’s head.

The corner of Itachi's lips tilted up ever so slightly as he directed his attention back to the field.

The game was over much sooner than Itachi realized, much to his relief. Yahiko had come back with an armload of snacks about halfway into the quarter and he was even more enthused about their players scoring than Shisui had been, specifically when Konoha Academy scored the winning touchdown just seconds before the game ended.

“We won!” Yahiko cheered. He and Shisui exchanged high fives before the redhead turned to Itachi. “So? What’d ya think?”

“This game is too loud,” Itachi mumbled into his scarf.

Shisui laughed lightly at Itachi’s comment, though Yahiko went off on a rant about how he couldn’t hear a word Itachi said and that he needed to not be so glum, especially since their school won the game. “I’m gonna take Itachi home,” Shisui said. “I promised his parents I wouldn’t have him out too late.”

“Oh,” Yahiko said, drawing out the word. “So, you guys are on like a date.”

Itachi felt his cheeks heat up and, at that moment, he had never been more grateful for the scarf covering his face.

“Stop teasing,” Shisui said, coming to the rescue. “Shouldn’t you be meeting Konan? The marching band’s probably finished by now.”

“Oh, yeah, probably,” Yahiko said, tilting his head thoughtfully. “Hey, that reminds me! Itachi, you should come by the house sometime. There’s a group of us from Konoha Academy that get together every now and then to just hang out. I think it’d be good for you. See ya!”

Itachi sighed as Yahiko jogged away. “He’s exhausting.”

“He means well,” Shisui said, draping his arm across Itachi’s shoulders. “You don’t have to come by if you don’t want to. The Akatsuki can be a little much.”

“Akatsuki?”

“It’s the name of the group Yahiko was talking about,” Shisui said as he began guiding Itachi down the bleacher stairs. “He felt like we should have an official name since there’s so many of us. He’s even been talking about us forming a band or something.”

“You’re part of it?”

“Technically, yes,” Shisui said. “But I haven’t been spending as much time with them lately.”

“Why is that?” Itachi asked.

Shisui was silent for a moment as he glanced at Itachi. “No reason,” he said at last. “C’mon, let’s get you home.”

The walk back to Itachi’s house was quiet aside from the occasional car passing by. Itachi kept his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the ground in front of them as they walked, the slightest frown on his face. Shisui was used to Itachi’s normally subdued demeanor, but even he could pick up the other boy was quieter than usual.

“You sure you’re okay?” Shisui asked, causing Itachi to look up.

“Yeah,” the younger replied.

“Itachi Uchiha, don’t you lie to me,” Shisui playfully scolded.

Itachi laughed. “I’m okay, Shisui. I’m just tired.”

Shisui hummed, not fully convinced, but if Itachi wasn’t going to tell him straight out, he knew that was the end of it. “If you say so. Thanks for coming out with me tonight. I’m sorry about Yahiko, though. He usually sticks with the marching band during games.”

“It was unexpected,” Itachi admitted. “But if he’s your friend, that’s enough.”

Shisui blinked and cocked his head slightly. _What_ was enough? He was going to ask when Itachi stopped walking and Shisui realized they were at the former’s house.

Itachi turned and smiled up at Shisui. “Thanks for walking me home.”

Shisui chuckled and ruffled Itachi’s hair, earning himself a protesting groan. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He began to walk away but stopped and looked over his shoulder. “The Akatsuki are meeting tomorrow by the way. If you want, I can take you to meet the rest of them.” He laughed when Itachi let out a barely audible sigh. “No pressure, kid. Just let me know. Later.” He waved at Itachi then continued on his way.

The door to Itachi’s house opened and when Itachi turned he was tackled by a seven-year-old Sasuke. “Welcome home, Nii-san!”

“I’m home,” Itachi said as he wrapped his arms lightly around his brother. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”

Sasuke shook his head. “Not yet, it just got done. I wanted to wait for you!”

Itachi smiled and took Sasuke’s hand before they turned and disappeared into the house.

* * *

_8 years earlier..._

Itachi sat in the school’s courtyard, his lunch resting on his lap as he nibbled quietly. On nice days like this, he often chose to eat outside over the cafeteria given the sounds of nature were far more tolerable than the ruckus caused by other students. He heard footsteps approaching in the grass and when he turned his head, he saw Shisui looking down at him.

“Hey,” Shisui greeted as he settled himself next to Itachi.

“Hello,” Itachi said with a smile.

It had been almost four years since their initial meeting; Itachi was now fourteen and had just begun his first year of high school, while Shisui was seventeen and set to graduate in the coming spring.

“Brought you something,” Shisui said, handing a small box to Itachi.

Itachi took the box and observed it for a moment before looking back at Shisui. “More dumplings?”

“Nah, not this time,” Shisui said. “Don’t wanna make your cute little face fat.”

Itachi’s face fell into somewhat of a small pout but he opened the box, blinking in confusion as he looked inside. “What’s this?”

“Just a token of appreciation,” Shisui said. “You know, for being my friend and all.”

Itachi reached into the box and lifted out a black, corded bracelet. “It’s a bracelet.”

“Yup. Made it myself.” He noticed Itachi still staring at the bracelet and gently nudged the other with his elbow. “What, you don’t like it?”

Itachi quickly shook his head. “I didn’t say that,” he said before sliding it over his hand and tightening it around his wrist.

“It’s kinda corny, I know,” Shisui said, leaning back on his hands. “But you’re my best friend. That and I’m graduating soon. We won’t get to spend every day like this anymore.”

Itachi let out a small laugh and placed the lid on his lunch container before resting his hands on top of it. “You speak as if we’ll never see each other again after graduation.” When Shisui simply hummed in response, Itachi turned a curious frown onto him. “Shisui?”

“Hm?” Shisui glanced at Itachi before focusing on a group of Uchiha students that had gathered outside.

Itachi frowned but didn’t push the matter and instead turned his attention onto the same group of students.

“You know,” Shisui said after a while. “Danzo came to my house yesterday…”

Itachi cocked an eyebrow. “Shimura?”

“Shimura,” Shisui repeated, sitting straight again. “He wants me to join the ANBU.”

“Konoha’s investigation division?”

Shisui’s head dropped. “That’s the one,” he sighed.

“You don’t want to.” It wasn’t a question. They both knew that Itachi knew Shisui better than anyone else in the Uchiha estate.

“Not really,” Shisui answered, leaning so his shoulder was against Itachi’s. “That sort of thing never interested me.”

“I know.” Itachi tilted his head slightly so his cheek was against Shisui’s hair. “You can say no.”

Shisui frowned and sat up. “No, I don’t think I can. He seemed pretty adamant about having me join. They must be shorthanded or something.”

“Yeah…”

The two looked up as the school bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. “You better get going,” Shisui said, reaching over to pat Itachi’s leg. “My classes are done for the day, but you Freshmen still have an entire afternoon.”

Itachi exhaled through his nose as he stood and brushed off his clothes. “You’ll be here this afternoon?” he asked.

Shisui smiled up at him. “In the four years since we’ve met, have I ever not waited for you after school?”

A light chuckle came from Itachi as he shook his head. “I’ll see you this afternoon.” His eyes lingered on the senior for a moment more before he turned and walked back toward the school.

Within seconds of entering the building, Yahiko was at his side with an arm around his shoulders. “Hey, Itachi! See you spent lunch with your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Itachi countered with a slight frown.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Yahiko laughed as he removed his arm. “So, you coming by today?”

“Are you going to be there?” Itachi asked bluntly.

“Oh, ouch! You know, I don’t care what anyone says, you’re probably the meanest member of the Akatsuki.”

Itachi sighed as he stopped in front of his classroom. “Aren’t the seniors done with classes?”

“You know it! Actually, I gotta get going or I’m gonna be late for work. I’ll see you tonight!”

Itachi lifted a hand in farewell as Yahiko dashed away. Even if he didn’t always show it, Yahiko had become one of Itachi’s closest friends, even convincing him to join the Akatsuki (though Shisui also had a part in it). He stepped into his classroom and make a beeline for his seat next to a pale-skinned teen with short dark hair.

“Boss cornered you again, eh, Itachi?”

Itachi glanced at the male as he pulled out his books for the class. “As per the usual,” he mumbled. “Did he ask you to come by as well, Kisame?”

“Of course,” Kisame said with a grin. “Supposedly, the boss has this huge announcement for us. Wonder what he’s got up his sleeve this time.”

Itachi hummed and leaned back in his chair. “I suppose we’ll find out.”

That night, the group of students known as the Akatsuki sat in the combination living and dining room of Yahiko’s house. Shisui was seated on the couch with Itachi leaning drowsily on his shoulder. Kisame sat next to Itachi with his head thrown back against the back of the couch, and a couple of the other teens were seated on the floor while another group had a card game going around the dining room table.

Konan sighed as she stepped out of the kitchen, her blue hair pulled into a messy bun, and her amber eyes full of concern.

Shisui was the first to notice her. “What’s wrong, Konan?”

Konan anxiously crossed her arms against her chest. “He’s late,” she said. “Yahiko’s late.”

“You know him.” A blond male spoke up from his spot at the card table. “He’s probably chatting up a storm with some random person.”

Konan shook her head. “No, Deidara. Not this time. This meeting was super important to him.”

Deidara huffed and threw a card on the table. “Whatever,” he mumbled. “I could be at home with my clay right now.”

“I’m sure we all have things we could be doing,” Shisui spoke up, taking care not to wake the now sleeping Itachi on his shoulder. “But Yahiko wouldn’t have wanted us all here if it wasn’t important.”

Konan flashed Shisui an appreciative smile before she took up pacing across the room. A second later, her ringtone went off and she rushed to answer it after checking the screen. “Yahiko! Where are you? You’re supposed to be here by now!” The room was quiet as all eyes turned to Konan for an answer to where their fearless leader had disappeared to. Suddenly, Konan’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped as all the color drained from her face.

Shisui frowned and gently maneuvered Itachi so he was lying on the couch cushion before he quickly made his way to Konan. “Konan, what is it?”

Konan didn’t reply and Shisui had to physically shake her before she finally turned tear-glistened eyes onto him. “Y-Yahiko,” she whispered.

The phone dropped from her hand and was picked up by a redhead that had joined Shisui. “Hello?” he said into the phone. “Mister Jiraiya? Yeah, she’s still here,” he said, glancing at a still shaken Konan. “What’s going on?” There was a moment of silence before the male’s eyes widened. “_What?!_ Where?!”

By this point, the other Akatsuki members had gathered around the phone call as well, their attention either on trying to shake Konan out of her stupor or the male on the phone. Without the warmth of his friend’s body next to him, Itachi had woken up and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position as he registered the tension in the room.

“But I don’t understand!” Nagato was almost yelling into the phone. “We just saw him today! Yes. Yes, of course. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Nagato,” Shisui urged as the redhead hung up the phone. “What is it? What happened to Yahiko?”

Nagato slowly lifted his gaze to meet his friends’. “There’s been an accident,” he said, glancing at Konan. “Yahiko…Yahiko is dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I break your heart yet? No? Don't worry, the real heartbreak is just around the corner~


	18. The Past - Part Three: Where Is the Silver Lining?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Here's the next installment in the four-part flashback...You read that right. This third part ended up being so long that I had to split it up, so there's still one more chapter about the past before we get back to the REAL storyline. A necessary evil, I'm afraid, if I expect to fill in all the plotholes before the main climax. Enjoy!

** Chapter 18: The Past – Part 3: Where Is the Silver Lining? **

Dark clouds covered the sky as rain poured down on Konoha. A solemn group dressed in black gathered around a freshly covered grave in Konoha’s main cemetery. The funeral had ended nearly half an hour ago, but that hadn’t stopped anyone from staying.

The night Konan had gotten the call of Yahiko’s accident, the entire Akatsuki group had rushed to the location. An impossible amount of flashing lights greeted them as emergency crews and first responders tended to the scene. There was a pickup truck that had its entire front smashed in and the inured owner of it was standing nearby, blubbering belligerently to an officer that was attempting to take his statement. On the complete other side of the intersection, Yahiko’s black compact car had had its entire driver’s side smashed in and was against a light post. There wasn’t a person in the car, but it was easy to see the deployed airbags and blood painting the inside, even from a distance. They learned later that Yahiko had left work, excited to get home to meet with his friends, and got carried away speeding. He never saw the stop sign and since ongoing traffic didn’t have a sign of their own, a pickup truck coming along rammed into his car, killing him instantly.

Konan sat on her knees with her head bowed and fingers gripping the loosened dirt as she sobbed quietly. Nagato knelt next to her as he held his umbrella over her trembling form, his eyes red from having already cried. The remaining members of the Akatsuki slowly filed away, each one mourning in silence as they knew no amount of words could ease the hurt they felt.

Shisui was at the foot of the grave with Itachi by his side as had become the norm. “Damn it, Yahiko,” he whispered shakily. “Why? Why did you…?”

Itachi’s eyes burned as he fought back tears for what had to be over the tenth time that day. He felt his chest tighten and he gripped the handle of his umbrella tighter before he turned away.

“Itachi?” Shisui turned after his friend and reached out to touch his shoulder.

Itachi immediately smacked Shisui’s hand away, causing the other to recoil in shock. “Don’t,” he said. “Just don’t.”

“Itachi…what’s gotten into you?”

Itachi attempted to breathe, but it just came out as a shudder. “I…The last thing I said to him…I couldn’t even…” He couldn’t hold back the tears as they finally fell down his cheek. “You know, he told me I was the meanest of the Akatsuki.”

“You know he never would have said that honestly,” Shisui attempted to assure him. “Yahiko had a way of saying things in jest. You know this.”

“But he was right!” Shisui flinched slightly as Itachi lashed out. “I never even told him how much of a friend he was to me! I just…” Itachi trailed off and dropped his head as his shoulders shook. “I just brushed him off like he didn’t matter…”

Shisui sighed, his eyes reflecting the pain he knew they both felt. “Itachi…” He stepped forward and pulled the younger male into a hug, causing Itachi to drop his umbrella. Shisui rested his head against Itachi’s hair and tightened his arms as much as he could without hurting him. “Yahiko knew you thought of him as a friend. He said so all the time. Why do you think he was so damn set on having you join us?” He smiled sadly as Itachi hiccupped against his chest. “He wouldn’t want to see you like this. _I_ don’t want to see you like this.” Itachi slowly looked up to meet his gaze and Shisui reached a hand up to pet Itachi’s soaked hair before resting his forehead against the other’s. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

* * *

Danzo sat at his desk at Konoha Police Department as he flipped through numerous files that were piled on his desk. A knock at the door caught his attention and he looked up to see a male with reddish-brown hair poke his head into the office. “Yes, what is it, Fu?” he asked curtly.

“There’s someone here to see you, sir.”

“Tell them to come back later. I’m too busy for visitors.”

“It’s Shisui Uchiha.”

Danzo’s head shot up as his entire demeanor changed. “Well, what are you waiting for? Send him in!”

Fu disappeared and a moment later, Shisui stepped into the office. The Uchiha slowly moved to the chair opposite of Danzo, sitting only when he got permission from the older man. “Thank you for seeing me,” Shisui said.

“Nonsense,” Danzo said with a wave of his hand. “I always have time for the likes of yourself. What can I help you with?”

Shisui hesitated before he spoke. “I’m here to accept your invitation into the Anbu.”

“I’m excited to hear that, my boy!” Danzo exclaimed. “You didn’t seem too keen on it before. May I ask what inspired this sudden change of heart?”

“A friend of mine died recently,” Shisui said flatly. “I just want to keep anything from happening to anyone else I care about.”

“Loyalty to others, hm? That’s just the kind of quality we need in the Anbu.”

Shisui’s eyes twitched as he fought a frown at the man’s tone. “Thank you, sir.”

“Well, welcome aboard,” Danzo congratulated. “We’ll start your training after school tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you then.”

Shisui dipped his head before he stood and left the office. As he entered the lobby, he spotted a familiar figure pacing and laughed to himself. “What brings you here, Itachi?”

Itachi skidded to a stop as his head shot up. “I was with my family in town and saw you come in here. I figured you were meeting Chief Shimura.” He frowned as Shisui adverted his eyes. “What did he say?”

“Nothing,” Shisui said. He looked around before tapping Itachi on the shoulder in a signal to follow him as he left. “He just thanked me and said I start my training tomorrow after school.”

“After school?” Itachi repeated. “That soon?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll still walk you home,” Shisui teased.

“That’s not it,” Itachi sighed. “Just be careful.”

Back inside, Danzo watched Shisui leave through the window, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the smaller male.

“Itachi Uchiha,” a voice spoke behind him.

“I really wish you would knock,” Danzo grumbled, never taking his eyes from the window.

Madara chuckled. “The boy with Shisui. He’s Itachi Uchiha, Fugaku’s eldest son.”

“How old is he?”

“Not nearly old enough to join your Anbu division,” Madara replied as he joined Danzo at the window. “He turned fourteen two months ago.”

Danzo hummed then turned to face Madara. “How are the preparations coming along?”

“I should be asking you that,” Madara countered. “Have you finished preparing the Anbu for their role?”

“The train assigned to transport the head of the Uchiha family has been dealt with if that is what you’re asking,” Danzo said. “As for the Hokage, there are still a few things that need to be dealt with.”

“Such as?” Madara grumbled. “I did not wait three additional years for your new addition, just to be disappointed.”

“You won’t be,” Danzo assured. “Shisui has his own role to play in all this…_after_ Minato and Fugaku have been dealt with.”

Madara hummed and narrowed his eyes. “If what you have planned interferes with any of my own goals, you will deeply regret it.”

Danzo swung around and glared at Madara. “Retreat back to your clan,” he snapped. “I have this taken care of.”

Madara glared at Danzo but turned and left the office without another word, leaving Danzo alone with his thoughts.

* * *

The following week, Minato and Kushina scurried around their house as they packed their suitcases. They, along with Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, were to be on their way to a business conference just north of Konoha the next morning.

“Okay, I think that’s it,” Kushina said with an exhausted sigh as she zipped her suitcase. “You remembered to call Kakashi, right?”

Minato froze where he was stuffing his own suitcase and looked up at his wife with a blank stare. “…Yes?”

“Honesty, Minato, I thought you had everything ready!” Kushina huffed and moved over to pick up her phone.

“I’m sorry, darling, really I am.” Minato followed his wife and laid his chin on her shoulder. “Forgive me?”

Kushina batted him away as she brought her phone up to her ear. “Not yet I don’t,” she said. “Go make sure Naruto is in bed. Oh, Kakashi!”

Minato sighed, though he had a smile on his face, and left to find his son. He found the boy in his room, his arms stuck in his pajama top that he was attempting to pull over his head. Minato laughed and moved to pull the shirt down.

As soon as his head was free, Naruto’s face lit up. “Hi, Dad!”

“Now what are you doing, silly boy?”

“Getting my ‘jamas on. Mom said it was bedtime!” Naruto said, turning and hopping onto his bed.

“That’s right, it is,” Minato said as he pulled the covers over Naruto to tuck him in. “Naruto, you remember your mother and I are going on a trip tomorrow, right?” When Naruto nodded, Minato smiled and patted the top of his head. “Good boy! Now, you’re going to be staying with Daddy’s friend Kakashi, okay? You need to be a good boy and do everything he tells you. Do you understand?”

Naruto nodded fervently, a determined frown on his face. “I promise!” he said. His expression suddenly changed to curiosity. “Are you and Mom going away with Auntie Miko and Uncle Fugaku?”

“That’s right,” Minato said. “We’ll only be gone for four days okay?”

“Four days,” Naruto repeated. “Got it.”

Minato ruffled Naruto’s hair proudly. “Good. Now get some sleep, okay? We’ll take you to Kakashi’s in the morning.”

Naruto leaned up and quickly kissed his father’s nose. “Good night, Daddy.”

Minato chuckled and kissed Naruto’s nose in return before he stood. “Good night, my son. I’ll see you when you wake up.” The blond turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. By the time, he made it back to his room, Kushina was off of the phone and in her own pajamas. “Everything good with Kakashi?”

“No thanks to you,” Kushina teased. “But yes, Kakashi will be awake and waiting for us at 9 a.m. sharp.”

“How did I become blessed with such a wonderful wife?” Minato gushed before kissing her on the cheek.

“You were the only one who didn’t make fun of my hair when we were little,” Kushina said. “So, you didn’t get your butt kicked like everyone else.”

“Ah, yes,” Minato said fondly. “My red-hot habanero.”

Kushina scowled playfully and settled herself on the bed. “Will you come on? We have a big day tomorrow. And unlike myself, you are most certainly _not_ a morning person, y’know.”

Minato laughed sheepishly and pulled off his shirt before climbing into bed. “I know, I know.” He cuddled up against Kushina and nuzzled his face into the back of her head. “Good night, my love.”

The next morning, the Namikaze family was up bright and early. Naruto padded after Kushina as she wandered around the house, taking care of any last-minute preparations before they left for their four-day business trip. Finally, the redhead turned around and dropped to her knees, so she was eye level with Naruto. “Are you ready to go to Kakashi’s?” she asked.

“Yeah!” Naruto cheered. “Let’s go!”

Minato walked in from loading the car and smiled at the two. “I hear someone is ready to go.”

“We sure are,” Kushina said. “We better go or we’ll be late.”

The three piled into the fancy limousine that was assigned to the Hokage (Minato had voiced his displeasure of having to use it years ago but eventually gave in) and the driver made the short trip to Kakashi’s house.

The silver-haired male was sitting on his front porch, completely lost in a book he had open on his lap. As soon as the limo pulled up, though, Kakashi quickly closed the book and hid it behind his back.

“I saw that,” Minato said as he got out of the car. “What’re you stashing away over there? Surely not something a kid shouldn’t be reading.”

“Kid?” Kakashi repeated. “I'm already in my twenties, Minato-sensei.”

“Ah, right, right. I keep forgetting you’re not that uptight little rascal I used to teach.”

“Yeah,” Kakashi said, his face falling slightly. “Thanks.”

“Kakashi!” Naruto stumbled out of the car and barreled into Kakashi, knocking him back onto the porch. “Mom and Dad say I’m staying with you for four days!”

“That’s right, kiddo,” Kakashi said, ruffling Naruto’s soft spikes. “And Iruka and Yamato are coming over later today to come see you.”

Minato and Kushina laughed as Naruto cheered. “Okay, Naruto,” Minato called, catching his son’s attention. “We have to go now. Come say goodbye.”

Naruto ran back to his parents and threw his arms around both of them as much as he could. “I love you,” he said.

“We love you, too, Naruto,” Kushina said. She bent down and kissed his forehead before tapping him on the nose. “Be good for Kakashi and his friends, understand?”

“Yes, Mom,” Naruto said.

“Remember,” Minato said. “Four days and we’ll be back. Love you, kid.”

“Love you, too, Dad!” Naruto said. As his parents got back in the limo, he threw his arm over his head and waved wildly until the car disappeared from view.

* * *

“Do you have to go?” Sasuke asked his mother as he watched her gather her bags for her business trip. “Why can’t Father go on his own?”

“Sasuke, your father and I are a team,” Mikoto said. “And since he is head of the family, that means I have to support him in any way I can. Besides, Itachi will still be here.”

“Yeah,” Sasuke said with a pout. “I guess.”

Mikoto paused and cocked an eyebrow. “What’s the matter with you?” she asked. “You love spending time with your brother.”

“It’s just…Nii-san’s been so, I dunno, boring since his friend died.” Sasuke complained. “He just pokes me in the head and says ‘Sorry, Sasuke, some other time’. He doesn’t have time for me anymore.”

“Sasuke Uchiha,” Mikoto said as she knelt in front of him. “Yahiko was a very close friend of your brother’s. It’s only natural he’d be sad. Give him a break, okay? I’m sure he’ll be back to himself in no time.”

“Okay,” Sasuke mumbled, though he wasn’t convinced.

Mikoto smiled and kissed his forehead. “Good boy.”

“Mikoto!” Fugaku’s voice rang throughout the house just moments before he appeared in the room. “Honey, we need to go now, or we’ll miss the train.”

“I know, I know,” Mikoto said, picking up her suitcase. “Remember what I said, Sasuke. I love you very much and I’ll see you in a few days, okay?”

Sasuke nodded. “I love you, too.”

“Behave for your brother,” Fugaku said before he turned and left the room with his wife.

Itachi was sitting on the front porch when the sound of the garage opening caught his attention. He stood and walked around the house to see his parents loading their car with their luggage. “Would you like me to take you to the train station?” he asked.

“No need,” Fugaku answered. “We’ll get there in plenty of time and the station has a garage we can park the car in long term.”

Mikoto finished loading her bags then moved over and hugged Itachi. “I know you’re having a rough time,” she whispered in his ear. “But try to include Sasuke in your plans while we’re gone, okay?”

Itachi nodded silently and gave his mom the tiniest smile as she pulled away from him. “I will.”

“I love you! We’ll be back soon!” Mikoto waved before she got in the car and Fugaku drove off toward the train station.

Itachi watched them leave then turned to see Sasuke on the porch, his eyes on the road where the car just disappeared. “Sasuke.” When his brother looked up, Itachi motioned for him to come closer, poking him in the forehead when the younger obliged.

“Ow!” Sasuke yelped, holding the spot where he was poked. “What’d you do that for?!”

Itachi chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Come on, Otouto. I’ll make you breakfast.”

* * *

Kushina sighed as the car drifted down the road, her violet eyes staring longingly out the window. They had only been on the road for an hour, but it felt like so much longer to the redhead.

Minato heard the sound and placed a hand on her knee. “Naruto will be just fine,” he assured her. “Kakashi can handle anything that boy throws at him. And Iruka and Yamato will be there to back him up, just in case.”

“I know,” Kushina said. “Just…this is the first time we’ve been away from him…And for so long! What am I supposed to do without my baby boy?”

Minato chuckled. “Darling, it’s just four days. We’ll be back before he even begins to miss us.”

Kushina gave him a weak smile and turned her attention back out the window as she attempted to think of anything other than how much she missed her son.

There was a sudden strange grinding sound from the car and Minato and his wife swapped glances as the car began to slow. “What’s going on?” Minato asked the driver.

“I’m not sure, sir,” the driver said as he pushed harder on the gas pedal to try and accelerate the car. It worked for a few brief seconds but eventually, the car coasted to a stop. The driver hummed and unbuckled himself before turning to the two in the back seat. “Please, hang tight, sir. Madam. I’ll make a call and have this sorted out before long.”

“Great,” Kushina huffed. “Now we’ll be late for sure, y’know?”

“The driver said he’ll have it sorted out soon. Be patient, my love.” Minato took Kushina’s hand in his own and kissed her forehead.

It was coming on ten minutes when Minato began to grow curious as to why his driver hadn’t returned.

“What’s taking him so long?” Kushina voiced Minato’s concerns and craned her neck to see if she could see the driver.

“Good question,” Minato said. “I’ll see if I can find him.” He pulled the door handle to exit the car but paused when the door didn’t budge. “What?” He tried the door a second and third time, each time become more and more concerned.

“Minato?”

“The door won’t open,” Minato said, turning to face his wife. “Try yours.”

Kushina frowned and pulled her own door handle with the same result. “Minato…” she said warily.

“Yeah,” Minato said, blue eyes narrowing. “I know.”

The sound of a train whistle made both of their heads shoot up and Kushina crawled over to Minato. “Is that the city train?”

Minato didn’t respond, mostly because he hadn’t heard the question. His eyes were focused on the spot of road the car had stopped on. His face paled as the ground began to rumble and when he looked up, he could see the lights of an approaching engine. “Shit,” he breathed.

“What?” Kushina asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Kushina, get out of the car!” When his wife balked at his tone, he pushed her toward her door. “Go! Now! We’re on the train tracks!”

The redhead’s eyes widened before she turned and began pounding on the window to no avail. “It won’t break,” she whined.

“Dammit.” Minato dug in his pocket for his cell phone and wasted no time in dialing a number. “Chief Shimura? It’s Hokage Namikaze. Listen, the car has stopped on the tracks and the driver is missing…I don’t know! He got out when the engine failed and vanished! Yes, yes, I’m sure. Danzo, the Konoha Express Line is headed our way! Of course, we’ve tried! We’re trapped! Just stop the train!”

Kushina’s eyes burned with tears as her husband’s tone became more panicked with each passing second. She let out a shaky breath as Minato hung up his phone and climbed into the front seat to try the other doors. “Oh no,” she whispered. “There’s no way out…”

“Don’t think like that,” Minato said, whirling around to face her. “Remember what you’ve always told me?”

Kushina smiled softly through her tears as she nodded. “Don’t give up until the very end.”

* * *

Danzo was standing at the window of his office when his personal cell phone rang. He glanced at the name on the screen before answering. “Police chief Shimura.”

_“Chief Shimura? It’s Hokage Namikaze.”_

“Sir Hokage? What can I do for you?”

_“Listen, the car has stopped on the tracks and the driver is missing.”_

“Missing?” Danzo repeated, keeping the smile on his face from reflecting in his voice. “Where has he gone?”

_“I don’t know!” _came the panicked reply. _“He got out when the engine failed and vanished!”_

“You’re certain?” Danzo asked.

_“Yes, yes, I’m sure. Danzo, the Konoha Express Line is headed our way!”_

“The Express Line? Sir, are you on the train tracks? Have you attempted to exit the vehicle?”

_“Of course, we’ve tried! We’re trapped! Just stop the train!”_

“I’ll contact the station right away, sir. Please hang in there.” He disconnected the call and chuckled to himself before dialing the number to the train station. “Hello? This is Police chief Shimura. I need an emergency stop order submitted to the Konoha Express Line outside of town. Please hurry,” he paused as a smirk overcame his features. “The Hokage’s life depends on it.”

* * *

Mikoto and Fugaku sat next to each other on the Konoha Express Line as it rumbled down the tracks.

“Do you think the boys will be okay without us there?” Mikoto asked.

Fugaku glanced at her with a small sigh. “They’ll be fine, Mikoto. Itachi is more than capable of taking care of himself as well as Sasuke. Four days is not enough time for that to change.” He looked up as a train attendant dashed down the aisle. He leaned to the side so he could see where she had gone and spotted the attendant whispering urgently to the conductor.

“I wonder what that’s about?” Mikoto said.

Fugaku straightened himself in his seat. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Just some minor issue, I assume.”

Mikoto hesitantly nodded as the conductor disappeared and the same attendant dashed past them again. “Maybe.”

The train suddenly jerked, sending Mikoto tumbling into her husband’s lap. Fugaku’s arms reached out to hold her as he looked around. The other passengers on the train seemed to be just as confused as they were, especially when a high-pitched grinding rang out from under the wheels.

“What was that?” Mikoto asked.

Fugaku had turned his attention out the window and noticed their surroundings were beginning to pass more quickly. “The brakes,” he mumbled in realization. “The brakes have failed.”

“What?!” Mikoto exclaimed. “Don’t they have an emergency protocol for this kind of thing?”

“I assume that has failed as well,” Fugaku said, as a couple more attendants ran down the aisle. “No doubt they’ll be announcing it shortly.”

As if on cue, there was ringing from the intercom before the conductor’s voice rang out. “Ladies and gentlemen. Please remain calm. There has been a malfunction in the normal operation of the Konoha Express Line. We are working diligently to rectify the situation as swiftly as possible. We ask that you remain in your seats and fasten all safety devices as we make our way to the nearest uphill station. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Panicked whispers broke out through the car and some passengers moved to the window to see what they could make out.

“There’s a car on the tracks!”

Fugaku and Mikoto looked up as another passenger yelled. There was a crowd now on the other side of the aisle. The Uchihas shared a look before they, too, got up to look out the window.

“Fugaku,” Mikoto gasped. “Isn’t that…?”

“Yes,” Fugaku replied grimly. He didn’t need to say anymore. The sleek limo just a few miles down the road was unmistakable. Minato and Kushina’s car was the one stalled on the tracks.

* * *

Itachi stared up at the sky, a slight frown on his face as his stomach churned. Something in the air just didn’t feel right. His attention shifted to Sasuke as the latter ran onto the porch with a chessboard.

“Hey, Nii-san? Wanna play?”

Itachi hesitated, his eyes briefly returning to the sky before he turned a smile onto his brother. “Of course.” He slid off the railing he was perched on and settled himself on the floor of the porch. “Do you remember how to play?”

Sasuke nodded as he set up the board. “Yeah. This time, I’ll beat you for sure!”

Itachi chuckled and moved his first piece. “We shall see.”

About thirty minutes later, Itachi moved his piece in front of Sasuke’s king. “Checkmate.”

“Aww,” Sasuke complained, falling onto his back. “No fair. You _always _win.”

Itachi smiled sympathetically. “I keep telling you, you won’t beat me if you don’t practice.”

“But I _do_ practice!” Sasuke protested as he sat up again. “Let’s play again. I _know_ I’ll beat you this time!”

Itachi sighed lightly, the smile on his face now reflecting amusement as he watched Sasuke reset the board. He suddenly stiffened as a chill ran up his spine seconds before a voice sounded behind him.

“Itachi…”

The older brother whipped around to see Shisui standing behind him. For a moment, Itachi’s eyes brightened. But as he stared at his friend, he realized something was horribly wrong. Shisui’s normally bright, welcoming eyes were dull and blank, and his lips that were usually tipped upward and smiling were set firmly in a straight line. And it was then Itachi noticed the black, tight-fitting vest of the Anbu on his friend. The churning feeling in Itachi’s stomach returned tenfold…something was definitely wrong.

“Shisui nii-san!” Sasuke looked up from the chessboard and waved at Shisui. “What’re you doing here?”

“I need to speak with your brother,” Shisui said, giving Sasuke a smile, though Itachi thought it seemed awfully hollow.

“But we were gonna play another game of chess,” Sasuke said with a pout.

Itachi turned and reached over the board to poke Sasuke’s forehead. “Sorry, Sasuke, another time,” he said before he stood and followed Shisui off the patio and into the garage. The moment they were alone, Itachi cautiously met Shisui’s eyes. “Shisui, what’s going on? Are you alright?”

“Itachi,” Shisui started, his face maintaining his neutral expression. “I come to you, not only as your friend but as a member of Konoha’s Anbu investigative division.”

The younger male’s heart sank. Shisui had never addressed him in such a tone, not even when Yahiko had died. “Shisui, what…? You’re acting strange. Tell me what’s happened.”

Shisui’s chest rose and fell as he took in a deep breath in preparation to speak. “I need you to listen very carefully to me,” he said. “The train your parents were on that was set to take them North…The train has derailed.”

Itachi’s eyes widened. “What?”

Shisui continued, his words low and deliberate as he relayed his message. “There was a car stopped on the tracks, and the train was unable to stop before the impact. Your parents, everyone on that train, the people in the car…there were no survivors.”

Itachi felt his body go numb. He stared blankly at Shisui as he attempted to process the latter’s words. His mouth opened but no sounds or words were released. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes before they overflowed and fell down his cheeks. The feeling in his legs slowly disappeared until he could no longer hold himself up and fell to his knees, eyes still staring straight ahead.

For the first time since he arrived at the house, Shisui’s face shifted as he was overcome with concern. He dropped to his knees in front of Itachi and threw his arms around the younger male, pulling their bodies together as he rested his forehead on Itachi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he tried not to cry himself. “I’m so sorry, Itachi…They’re gone.”

* * *

“They _what?!_” Kakashi stared at Yamato in disbelief as the latter averted his eyes.

“Yeah, I can’t believe it either,” Yamato said.

“But...” Kakashi looked towards the closed door that led to his room before lowering his voice. “What about Naruto?”

“I don’t know,” Yamato sighed. “He can’t take over in his dad’s place…he’s only nine years old.”

“What about when he’s older?” Iruka spoke up from next to the two. “He can legally take over for his father when he turns eighteen.”

“Yes, but that still begs the question of what happens to him until then,” Yamato said impatiently.

“I can take him,” Kakashi said without hesitation. “My house is big enough and—”

“And you’re going to take care of a nine-year-old while leading a squad in the Anbu?” Yamato asked doubtfully. “Kakashi, be reasonable.” He shook his head as Kakashi fell silent and averted his eyes.

“What if I take him in?” Iruka said after a while. “I have plenty of room and since I’ll be starting my teaching job soon, it wouldn’t be a problem to see to his education. Besides, I owe it to Minato-sensei for pushing me to my dream career.”

“That…could work,” Kakashi said. “Naruto does like Iruka. And I’d still be able to come to check up on him.”

“Then it’s settled.” Yamato crossed his arms and nodded in approval. “We’ll move Naruto into Iruka’s house.”

“Iruka’s house?”

The tiny voice caused them all to stiffen and they turned to see Naruto standing in front of Kakashi’s room. “Why do I need to go to Iruka’s house?” the blond asked as he rubbed his eyes sleepily.

Iruka glanced at the other two before moving to kneel in front of Naruto. “Did you have a nice nap?”

Naruto nodded but he could tell that something wasn’t right. “Iruka, why do I have to go to your house? Doesn’t Kakashi want me here?”

“Of course, I do,” Kakashi said gently. “You can stay here as long as you like.”

“But…I have to go home when Mom and Dad come back, right?” He cocked his head as all three men averted their eyes. “Right?” he repeated, this time more hesitantly.

“Naruto,” Iruka said, placing a hand on the blond’s shoulder. “There’s something we need to tell you.” He glanced at the others, only continuing when Yamato nodded. “Your parents were in an accident as they were leaving town. I’m afraid…I’m afraid they won’t be coming home.”

Blue eyes widened in disbelief. “Wh-what do you mean?”

Iruka shifted uncomfortably. “Minato and Kushina…their car stalled on the train tracks outside of town. The Konoha Express was on its normal route when its brakes failed. Your parents couldn’t get out in time and…they died in the crash.”

Naruto stared. His eyes began to water, and he slammed them shut before opening them with a glare on Iruka. “No! You’re lying! Mommy and Daddy are coming back for me, you’re a liar!” He whirled around and dashed back into Kakashi’s bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

Iruka groaned and stood up. “That could have gone better.”

“Not really,” Kakashi said as he stepped toward his room to try and console Naruto. “Welcome to parenthood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry. This hurts my heart every time I read it myself. Just one more flashback chapter...just one more. In two weeks. <3


	19. The Past - Part Four: A Break in the Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Hope you're all still doing well. I really am terrible at trying to limit my writing, so one more flashback chapter became two more flashback chapters because 23 pages of one chapter is just too much for anyone xD BUT! Lucky for you guys, because I promised you this update would be the last of the flashbacks, I'm going ahead and posting both parts today. Then, we'll finally be done and be able to get back to the current timeline and how things are now beginning to unfold. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Yeah, this story has been pretty mellow with only a smidge of darkness in it, but this is where it really gets dark. There is a mention of attempted suicide. Please just don't read this chapter if you're not ready for it...it gets pretty sad.

** Chapter 19: The Past – Part Four: A Break in the Clouds **

_“In other news, tragedy has struck the city of Konoha. Early this morning, reports of a train accident flooded the Konoha Police Department’s emergency lines. Upon further investigation, Konoha’s ANBU Investigation Division revealed the names of many of the casualties, including head of the Uchiha Estate Fugaku Uchiha, his wife Mikoto, and regretfully, our very own Hokage, Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina. A vigil in remembrance of these lost loved ones will be held…”_

The reporter on the television chattered on in the background of the Uchiha house. In one of the other rooms, a despondent Itachi sat on the floor with his legs pulled up against his chest. Dark eyes stared ahead at nothing in particular as tears silently slid down his cheeks. He could hear Sasuke bawling from somewhere else in the house as Shisui explained the situation to the boy and attempted to comfort him.

Itachi couldn’t move. His body felt so cold and numb…Why were the people closest to him leaving the world so soon before their time? It had only been two months since the death of Yahiko, and now his parents were never going to return home. His breath shuddered lightly as he tightened his arms around his legs. This was all just too much to bear. Everyone else seemed to be leaving the world…maybe this was a sign of some kind? Maybe the universe was trying to say things were better after one left this wretched planet. Maybe that’s what he needed to do…

Onyx eyes slowly lifted to the window. Sasuke had quieted down and Itachi could hear Shisui muttering words of consolation to the younger Uchiha. They were too preoccupied to hear him leave…he could easily slip through the window. He stayed in place for only a second more before he forced himself to his feet, a feeling of nausea instantly smashing into him that he forced away before he shuffled to the edge of the room. He took one final glance behind him before he unlatched the window, pushed it up, and vaulted through the opening. Once he was through, he let the window fall closed behind him and began to trudge down the street.

In the next room, Shisui gently ran his hand along Sasuke’s hair as the latter slept on his lap. He’d stayed at the brothers’ house nearly the entire day after having to deliver the tragic news of their parents. Itachi had long since locked himself away in his room so Shisui, wanting to give the older brother some space, focused his condolences on Sasuke for the time being. The ten-year-old had finally stopped crying, but only when he had exhausted himself to the point of slumber.

Shisui sighed lightly and leaned back on his hands. Now that Sasuke was settled, his next objective was to check on Itachi. A curious hum sounded from him as he heard a light thud from Itachi’s room. Frowning, he stood, taking care not to rouse Sasuke, and made his way to the door. “Itachi?” He knocked lightly, his stomach dropping when there was no answer. He pushed open the door, eyes widening as he realized the room was empty. “Where did he…?” He trailed off as his eyes landed on the window. He slowly made his way to the windowsill, taking in the unlatched window lock and the way the window was tilted slightly from not having been closed properly. His eyes moved to look outside as he blew a frustrated breath through his nose. He knew now the thud from earlier had to have been the sound of the window closing…Itachi was gone.

It was already nighttime, and the full moon shone brightly, lighting Itachi’s way as he wandered, seemingly aimlessly, through the streets of the Uchiha estate. After what seemed like a lifetime, Itachi stopped walking. Just ahead of him was a pedestrian bridge that overlooked the Nakano River, the main river that ran through the majority of Konoha. Itachi hesitated before he moved to the edge of the bridge and looked over. The river water rushed below him, crashing into rounded boulders that stuck out here and there in the current. The teen’s hands gripped the edge of the bridge. Soon, it would all be over. Soon, he would be able to see his parents again. Soon, his heart would be released from this agonizing pain…

With the slightest effort, Itachi gracefully pulled himself into a crouch on the railing of the bridge, his eyes still on the water. All he had to do was shift his weight slightly…

“Itachi!”

Itachi’s head whipped around as a hand grabbed onto his arm and pulled him off the railing. He tumbled back, expecting to hit the ground, but instead landed on another body. He blinked as arms wrapped around his chest.

“You idiot,” a voice shakily, but softly, scolded. “What were you about to do?”

Itachi’s face fell and he glanced to the side. Now he knew who the person was…and it didn’t surprise him in the least bit. “Shisui, I…I just can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?!” Shisui sat up, bringing Itachi with him, and spun the latter around. “I know things are hard right now, but you can’t…” The older male trailed off and dropped his head as his hands rested on Itachi’s shoulders. “You can’t leave like this…”

Itachi kept his eyes on the ground. “But…I’m losing everyone...”

“No, Itachi. Not everyone.” Shisui squeezed Itachi’s shoulder, only continuing when the younger met his eyes. “Sasuke is at home waiting for you right now. This pain that you’re feeling…if you jump off that bridge now, no doubt Sasuke will feel the same thing you are now. You’re his big brother and he loves you. _I_…” He cut himself off with a sigh before giving Itachi a small smile. “You’re my best friend, Itachi. If I lost you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Itachi blinked then took a steadying breath. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Forgive me, Shisui.”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Shisui said, pulling Itachi into a hug that the latter hesitantly returned. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He leaned just far enough away so he could touch their foreheads together. “Let’s go home.”

* * *

Over the next week or so, Shisui stuck to Itachi’s side like glue, refusing to leave the younger teen alone. He knew it was selfish on his part but knowing just how close he was to losing Itachi was more than he wanted to acknowledge.

He sat in Itachi’s living room as he absently scrolled through random social media posts on his phone. Every once in awhile, he would glance up to check on Itachi; The latter was sitting on the floor, his body leaning heavily against the wall as onyx eyes stared blankly at the television screen. Itachi still hadn’t mentally healed from losing his parents and Shisui feared just how long Itachi would remain this empty shell of himself.

Shisui looked over as the front door opened and Sasuke wandered in. “Welcome home, Sasuke,” he greeted with a smile.

Sasuke glanced at Itachi, who was still staring at nothing and frowned. “Hey,” he replied.

Shisui noticed the disdainful look on Sasuke’s face and attempted to change the subject. “So, how was school? Anything fun happen?”

“No,” Sasuke mumbled as he sat at the table with Shisui. “Same as always.”

“Well, that’s disappointing.” Shisui ruffled Sasuke’s hair and smiled at the disapproving look the child shot him. He really did look like his brother with such an expression. “What d’you say we get some dinner? Anything you have a taste for?”

Sasuke’s face brightened. “Pizza!” he cheered.

“Okay then, pizza it is!” His face softened as he turned to Itachi. “Itachi,” he spoke softly as if his voice alone would break the fragile soul in front of him. “Are you okay with pizza?” Much to Shisui’s disappointment, Itachi didn’t reply. There was no movement from him other than a slow blink. He sighed through his nose before he looked back to Sasuke. “I’ll order it now. Why don’t you watch TV for a little bit?”

“But…” Sasuke glanced at his brother again.

“He’s not watching it,” Shisui mumbled as he stood.

Sasuke blinked as his brother’s friend stepped out of the room. He knew Shisui wouldn’t go far. In all actuality, Sasuke figured he was probably just on the other side of the doorway. The boy turned his gaze onto Itachi once again. His brother seemed almost like a doll with how still he was. If it wasn’t for the occasional blink or rise and fall of his chest, Sasuke would have wondered if his brother was even alive. A handful of minutes passed before Sasuke dared to speak. “Hey, Itachi—”

Before Sasuke could attempt to catch Itachi’s attention, Shisui stepped back into the room. “Okay, pizza’s ordered! Sasuke, do you have homework to finish?”

“I guess so,” Sasuke mumbled, glancing between his brother and Shisui before getting to his feet. “It won’t take me long.”

Shisui waited until Sasuke had closed the door before turning his attention onto his friend. “Itachi.” For the first time that night, Itachi blinked and glanced at Shisui out of the corner of his eye. A relieved smile graced Shisui’s lips. He might not have moved his body, but Itachi _did_ acknowledge him which was better than nothing. “Hey, my friend,” he said gently, moving to sit next to Itachi.

Itachi’s gaze had shifted forward again but, this time, a light sigh left him. “How long are you going to coddle me like a child?” The words were a bit raspy, a combined result of not talking for days and lack of moisture in his throat.

“Until I feel like you can stand on your feet again,” came Shisui’s reply. He moved behind Itachi and gently ran his fingers through the long, dark strands of hair before tying them back in a low, loose ponytail. “There. Better?” Silence. Shisui sighed and toyed with the ends of Itachi’s hair.

Itachi had been this way ever since Shisui interrupted the younger’s attempt to take his own life. The night that they had returned to Itachi’s house, Itachi had made a beeline for his bedroom. This time, Shisui had followed him. He could see the blatant displeasure on Itachi’s face, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He had to watch over Itachi.

Occasionally, Shisui would get a visual acknowledgment from Itachi, most often in the form of a glance. Rarer still, Itachi would speak to him but those days were few and far between and it was only a sentence or two a time. He figured the younger male must have been quite upset with him…

A loud knock caught Shisui’s attention and, with one final look at Itachi, he stood and made his way to the front door. “Thanks, Kisame,” Shisui said, taking the pizza from the pale, dark-haired teen in front of him.

“How is he?” Kisame craned his neck in an effort to catch a glimpse of Itachi.

Shisui frowned and placed his palm over Kisame’s face, pushing him back. “He’ll be fine.”

Kisame only looked amused as he was forced back. “You do realize sheltering him like this is only going to make him worse, don’t you?”

The Uchiha’s eyes hardened into a glare. “Don’t you have a job to get back to?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kisame laughed as he raised a hand in farewell and turned to go back to his car. “Remember what I said, Shisui. You can’t protect him from everything.”

Shisui closed the door a bit harder than necessary, his glare now on the door. “I can try,” he whispered before he turned and brought the pizza into the living room.

* * *

A gentle melody filled the walls of a small house in the center of Konoha. Shisui sat on a beige couch in the living room with his elbows on his knees as his chin rested in his hands. The slight smile on his lips left him with a serene expression as he watched the scene in front of him.

Just a few feet away on the other couch, Itachi and Konan were strumming away on a pair of guitars in a peaceful duet. Every few notes, Konan would vocalize along with the instruments, creating a beautiful harmony. Next to her, Itachi’s eyes were closed as he focused his attention solely on the movement of his fingers.

It had now been two months since what had come to be known as the most tragic event in Konoha history. In the two weeks after Itachi’s failed suicide attempt, Shisui tried desperately to find something, _anything_, that could bring his friend back to him. When he had almost given up hope, Konan came forward with a possible solution.

_“After Yahiko died, I didn’t know what to do,” _she had said to Itachi. _“It seemed like there was nothing left in this world that could make me happy. I almost got to the same point you did. But then I remembered something. Yahiko, Nagato, and I often spent a lot of our time at band practice together. Yahiko…he wasn’t a part of the school band like Nagato and me, but he played guitar…and he taught me.”_ A sad smile had graced her lips before she moved away to pick up a guitar in the corner of the room. _“I know it’s not much, but it helped my heart heal…maybe it can help you as well.”_

Itachi had agreed, though at the time he had had his doubts about anything being able to help him. However, the Uchiha quickly found that his learning curve with the guitar was far shorter than he or any of his friends had first anticipated. And so, within a matter of three short weeks, Itachi had all but mastered his newfound talent.

Itachi slowly opened his eyes as he and Konan finished their song. Onyx met amber and the two shared a peaceful smile before they lowered their guitars. The sound of clapping caught their attention and they turned to look at Shisui who was positively beaming as he applauded.

“That was fantastic! Itachi, you’re a musical genius!”

Itachi laughed lightly. “I don’t know about that,” he said.

“Give yourself some credit,” Konan said, rubbing his back. “You’ve come a long way.”

Itachi gave her a weak smile before glancing at his phone. “I should get going. Sasuke will be getting home from school soon.”

“I’ll go with you,” Shisui said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

Itachi nodded, his lips still upturned slightly. Two months ago, he never would have expected to feel the overwhelming sense of gratitude he did now when Shisui stopped him on Nakano Bridge. He knew Shisui was still worried about him – a fact that didn’t really surprise him – so he didn’t bother making a fuss when his friend insisted on being by his side. In fact, if Itachi was being honest with himself, _not_ having Shisui next to him just would have felt wrong.

Itachi placed his guitar in its case before standing so he could pull on his coat. “Thank you for having me, Konan. I appreciate your time.”

“Itachi, we’re friends,” she said with a small laugh. “You’re welcome anytime.”

Itachi bowed his head respectfully and smiled. “Thank you.”

Shisui had pulled on his own coat and moved to ruffle Itachi’s hair as the latter’s head was bowed. “Look at him, being all proper. It’s kinda cute, don’t you think, Konan?”

Light pink dusted Itachi’s cheeks before he shot Shisui a desperate look. “Shisui, please. Not now.”

Konan chuckled. “Now _that_ is cute.”

Itachi groaned lightly in exasperation before slinging his guitar on his back and heading for the door.

“Seems I’ve made him mad,” an amused Shisui said so only Konan could hear him.

The girl smiled. “I don’t think ‘mad’ is the right word,” she said. When Shisui glanced at her curiously, she continued. “I think he’s more flustered than anything. Itachi really looks up to you, Shisui. And you have to remember, he’s a few years younger than we are…he’s still trying to figure out how he sees the world. And probably how he sees you.”

Shisui blinked before his eyes widened. “You don’t think he…” He trailed off as his gaze shot to where Itachi was waiting by the front door.

“Would you be surprised?” Konan asked.

Shisui shook his head with a short chuckle. “Nah. Honestly, I think I’d be kinda relieved.”

“Shisui,” Itachi called to his friend, the faintest hint of an impatient whine lacing his tone. “We need to get going.”

“Coming! Merry Christmas, Konan!” Shisui waved to Konan before jogging over to Itachi and throwing his arm around the other’s shoulders. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said as they left the house.

“What were you two talking about?” Itachi asked, glancing back as Konan closed the door after them.

Shisui hummed thoughtfully before grinning. “Nothing you need to know about…yet.”

Itachi cocked an eyebrow then sighed. “If you say so.”

Sasuke stood in front of Konoha Private Academy, his arms crossed in annoyance as he looked around. His brother was supposed to be at the school to pick him up almost fifteen minutes earlier.

“Figures,” he mumbled to himself as he began walking home by himself. He honestly hadn’t expected Itachi to be there. Ever since their parents died, Itachi seemed to want to spend less time with Sasuke than he used to…especially if Shisui was around. Sasuke didn’t have any negative feelings for Shisui in general; quite the opposite, the older Uchiha was like a second brother to Sasuke. But the moment Itachi apparently tried to take his own life (Sasuke had found out when eavesdropping on one of Shisui’s conversations), Shisui wasted no time in moving into their home in concern for the brothers’ mental status. Sasuke had been told it was only temporary, that as soon as Itachi was healthy again Shisui would go back to his own place but it had already been two months and, even though Itachi seemed more like himself, Shisui didn’t show any signs of leaving anytime soon.

Sasuke sighed. He supposed it was for the best. After all, if Itachi _had_ succeeded, that would’ve left Sasuke in an even worse situation.

“Sasuke!”

Sasuke turned around with a frown as he recognized the voice that called him. “About time,” he said irritably as he glared at his brother.

Itachi startled to a stop at his younger brother’s expression. He knew he was a little late in getting to the school, but he didn’t think Sasuke would be _that_ mad…

Shisui immediately tuned in on the tension between the two and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Sasuke, my fault! I kept Itachi a little longer than necessary. You ready to go home?”

Sasuke looked between the two before turning away again. “Yeah,” he said simply.

Itachi sighed and glanced up as Shisui lightly patted his back. “Thank you,” he said softly.

“Hey, it’s the truth. Now, come on, it’s freezing out here.”

* * *

“Naruto?”

Iruka wandered through his house as he searched for the blond ten-year-old. He and Naruto had been hard at work decorating the house for the holidays when the boy suddenly went missing. Iruka was trying not to panic, but he had only been a legal guardian for all of two months and he already lost his child.

“Iruka!” Naruto’s voice rang out from somewhere down the hall and the burnet rushed toward it, hoping to whatever deity above that Naruto hadn’t hurt himself. He finally found the blond wrapped head to toe in silver garland just outside of the closet that held the decorations. Iruka couldn’t stop himself from breaking out into laughter.

Naruto pouted lightly. “Iruka,” he whined. “Don’t laugh at me…this is serious!”

“I’m sorry, Naruto,” Iruka chuckled. “You’re absolutely right, this is _very_ serious.” He tried to keep the joking tone out of his voice as he worked the garland off of Naruto’s body. “I think this is the last bit of decorations we need to put up. What do you think?”

“I like it!” Naruto declared, looking pleased.

Iruka smiled and hung the garland along the hall’s doorframe into the kitchen. The doorbell suddenly rang, catching their attention. Naruto trailed behind Iruka as the brunet moved to open the door, blue eyes widening excitedly as he saw who was on the other side.

“Kakashi!” Naruto shoved his way past Iruka so he could wrap his arms around Kakashi’s legs.

“Hey there, kiddo,” Kakashi greeted as he ruffled Naruto’s soft spikes. “What were the two of you up to?”

“We decorated the house for Christmas! Come see, Kakashi!” The blond took Kakashi’s hand and pulled him through the door.

Kakashi flashed Iruka an apologetic smile. “Sorry about this, Iruka. Guess I’m coming in.”

“Seems that way,” Iruka laughed as he closed the door.

“Wow, you guys really have outdone yourselves,” Kakashi said, looking around. “I’m feeling festive already.”

Naruto giggled and puffed out his chest. “_I_ did the most,” he boasted. “Iruka only helped a little.”

Iruka chuckled. “Alright, Naruto. Why don’t you go change into your pajamas for the night?”

“Okay!”

The two men watched Naruto disappear down the hall before Kakashi turned to Iruka, his face suddenly serious. “How is he?”

“As well as an orphan could be,” Iruka sighed. “But he seems to have opened up quite a bit.”

“I’m sure he has,” Kakashi said. “He takes after his parents after all. That being said, Naruto’s a tough kid, but he’s still just a kid. Remember, it’s only been two months since Minato-sensei and Kushina’s passing. No doubt he thinks you’ll be upset if you see he’s down, so he puts on a brave face. He doesn’t want anyone else to feel sad as he does. Just keep that in mind for me, okay?”

Iruka nodded in understanding. “I will.”

“Iruka! Kakashi!” Naruto, now clothed in light blue pajamas, came barreling down the hallway, past the men, and into the kitchen. Kakashi and Iruka swapped confused glances before Naruto stuck his head out of the kitchen doorway. “C’mon, you guys! It’s cold outside, so we gotta make hot chocolate, y’know!”

The men broke into light laughter as Naruto vanished again. “Definitely Kushina’s son,” Kakashi mused.

“Without a doubt.” Iruka agreed.

* * *

_5 years earlier…_

“And so, we must remember the lessons we have learned here together as one. May we all lead our lives with courage and confidence, never faltering on the path towards our bright future.”

Roaring applause erupted through Konoha Academy’s auditorium. Itachi let out the breath he had been holding and stepped away from the podium as the master of ceremonies, Madara Uchiha, took the stand.

“Valedictorian Itachi Uchiha,” Madara announced, motioning toward the teen. “With his final speech, I give you all the graduating class of Konoha Private Academy.”

Cheers and applause sounded once again as the majority of the senior class threw their caps high into the air. Itachi refrained but even he had to admit he was glad to be done. He felt eyes on him, and it only took a second for him to zero in on Shisui smiling at him from the audience. Itachi returned the smile before turning his attention back to Madara as the latter began issuing diplomas.

Once the ceremony ended, the families split up to try and find their graduating students. He and Shisui had decided beforehand that they would meet outside to avoid the crowds, so Itachi made a beeline for the doors of the auditorium in an attempt to do so.

“There’s my new graduate,” Shisui said the moment he laid eyes on Itachi. “You’re finally done.”

Itachi nodded. “Yeah.” He looked around for a moment before his face fell slightly. “Where’s Sasuke?”

Shisui sighed lightly. “I tried to get him to come with me, but…”

“It’s alright,” Itachi said, though Shisui could tell he was clearly disappointed.

“That reminds me,” Shisui said, looking behind Itachi. “Shouldn’t Kisame have graduated as well today? I didn’t see him walk.”

Itachi’s face instantly deadpanned. “He said he had more important matters to attend to, but he wouldn’t give me a straight answer as to what those matters were.”

Shisui chuckled. “Don’t look so serious, Itachi. He probably just didn’t want to sit through the ceremony.”

Itachi hummed. “I guess so.”

“Well, well. Congratulations, Itachi Uchiha.”

Shisui’s face hardened into a glare as Itachi turned around to face Danzo. “Chief Shimura,” Itachi said, surprised. “What brings you here?”

“I came to see the accomplished youths we are about to set upon our fine city.” Danzo glanced at Shisui then back to Itachi. “Why don’t you come down to the station tomorrow when you have a spare moment? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” The man paused to meet the glare Shisui had fixated upon him. “It’s good to see you, Shisui. I trust you’ll be present for your duties tomorrow?”

Shisui took hold of Itachi’s arm and gently pulled him back before stepping between him and Danzo. “You don’t have to worry about me,” he said.

“Good. Well then, I bid you both good night.”

“Good night,” Itachi said politely, though it earned him an incredulous glance from Shisui.

When the man was out of sight, Itachi placed a hand on Shisui’s shoulder. “Shisui, are you alright?”

“Why do you ask?” Shisui’s voice was quiet but strained as if he was trying to hold himself back.

“Shisui.”

Shisui chuckled at Itachi’s stern tone and turned around to face the younger. “It’s nothing, Itachi,” he said. “Shall we head home?”

Itachi stared at his friend for a moment before he hesitantly nodded. “Yeah.”

Itachi’s graduation from Konoha Private Academy marked the end of the spring season in Konoha. Itachi was only a month away from turning eighteen while Shisui had celebrated his twenty-first birthday a few months prior. It had been eight years since the two of them first met and it seemed that they were closer than ever. Shisui was still the only person that could get a valid reaction out of Itachi (aside from Sasuke) and, personally, the older Uchiha liked it that way.

The two arrived at their house a mere fifteen minutes later and Itachi stood back while Shisui fumbled for his keys to unlock the door. Soon after Itachi’s mental condition had stabilized, Shisui invited Itachi and Sasuke to move into his home, giving the reason that it might do more harm than good for them to stay in a house that held so many reminders of their parents. Itachi had initially refused, saying that there was no way he could force Sasuke into such a sudden change. Sasuke had immediately shot that down with the claim that he “couldn’t stand seeing Itachi mope around like a lost puppy” for much longer. And so Itachi resigned. A couple of weeks later, the three Uchihas were living under the same roof.

Shisui stepped to the side as he pushed open the door and motioned to Itachi. “After you, little graduate.”

Itachi shook his head, the slightest smile playing at his lips, and stepped into the dark house. No sooner had he crossed the threshold did the lights suddenly flash on illuminating the living room.

“Congratulations!”

The sudden cheer had Itachi nearly jumping out of his skin in surprise and it took him a moment to realize that the living room was full of his closest friends. He blinked and looked around, taking in the streamers and balloons lining the walls and the confetti that was floating through the air before turning an awestruck stare onto Shisui. “What…?”

Shisui grinned and draped his arm across Itachi’s shoulders. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. You honestly shouldn’t have expected anything less from me.”

“Hey!” Kisame strode up to them, a small blue party hat strapped to the top of his head. “Don’t you go taking all the credit, Shisui. This was my idea, too!”

Shisui playfully stuck his tongue out at Kisame before patting Itachi’s shoulder. “Well, don’t just stand there. Go enjoy yourself!”

Itachi watched Shisui practically skip into the kitchen for a drink. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself. He could simply trail after Shisui but no doubt the latter would scold him for doing so. Alternatively, he could slip away and retreat into his bedroom until the party ended, but that would have likely ended with the same degree of scolding.

“Um, excuse me?”

Itachi was pulled from his thoughts by a girl with long, dark hair, dark eyes, and a beauty mark just under the corner of her right eye. Her lips were pulled up in a gentle smile and a slight tint of pink dusted her cheeks as she looked up at him behind long lashes. He’d never seen the girl before though she couldn’t have been much younger than himself. Itachi finally realized he had simply been staring and lightly cleared his throat. “Yes?”

“You’re Itachi, right?” she asked. When Itachi nodded, her face brightened. “Okay, good! I thought you were the one I saw walk in with Shisui. Congrats on graduating!”

“Er, thank you,” Itachi said.

The girl must have noticed the confused tone in Itachi’s voice because her face shifted to apologetic. “Oh right! My name’s Izumi. Izumi Uchiha.”

“Uchiha?”

Izumi nodded. “Yeah, but I’m only an Uchiha by name. I actually live in the center of Konoha with my parents.”

“I see,” Itachi said. “I didn’t see you among my class…Does that mean you attend Konoha High School?”

“You hit the nail right on the head!” Izumi said. “We actually had our graduation ceremony two weeks ago. So,” she paused to align herself at Itachi’s side, “I guess you could say I’m like your senior!”

Itachi cocked an eyebrow. “I’m not sure that’s how that works…”

Izumi wasn’t listening. “Hey! What do you say we go get a drink? C’mon!” She didn’t give him time to respond before she took his arm and dragged him over to the refreshment table set nearby.

In the kitchen, Shisui watched the interaction between Itachi and Izumi, his face unreadable as he held a glass bottle of some alcoholic beverage one of the older guests had brought. He jumped as something tinged against his bottle and he turned to see Konan smirking at him with a bottle in her own hand. “What?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t proclaimed your love for him yet,” she teased.

Shisui frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mumbled.

“Hm? You’re really going to say that?” Amber eyes zeroed in on where Izumi was currently trying to persuade Itachi to eat some kind of appetizer that had been on the table. “You know as well as I do you love that kid. So, what are you waiting for?”

“He’s underage,” Shisui protested.

“For _one more month_!” Konan said exasperated. “You’ve been pussyfooting around this for way too long as it is. Now get in there and get your boy!”

Shisui sighed as Konan gently pushed him forward before she disappeared to find Nagato. He turned back to Itachi and Izumi as his stomach twisted uncomfortably. There was no way he could be jealous…right?

The party ended just before midnight, leaving Shisui and Itachi to clean their house in the aftermath. Konan had offered to stay to help as well, but Nagato had ended up getting sick from drinking too much and Shisui insisted that she just take him home from the night.

After about an hour of cleaning, Itachi collapsed on the couch with an exhausted sigh. “I never thought I’d have to clean up after my own party,” he complained, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.

“Yeah, I didn’t think that part out,” Shisui admitted, plopping next to Itachi. “But you had fun, right?” Itachi grumbled, but Shisui knew he just didn’t want to admit he’d actually had a good time.

A door opening and closing caught their attention and they turned to see Sasuke step into the living room. “Party’s over?”

“Oh, look who came out _after _the cleaning,” Shisui playfully scolded. “Nice to see you finally, Sasuke.”

“It didn’t involve me,” Sasuke said as he moved to the kitchen.

“You could at least say a few words to your brother,” Shisui called after him.

There was a moment of silence before Sasuke poked his head out of the kitchen. “Congrats.”

* * *

Itachi took a deep breath as he stood in front of the police station. Next to him, Shisui was dressed in his full Anbu uniform – composed of black pants, a black long-sleeved shirt, and the standard black Anbu vest – with a grim look on his face. He glanced at Itachi then back to the building. “You sure you wanna do this?” he asked, not bothering to hide his displeasure.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Itachi tiled his head slightly but never took his eyes off the station. “He asks me to join the Anbu as well?”

“That is the absolute worst thing that could happen,” Shisui said immediately as he turned to face Itachi.

Itachi blinked at Shisui in surprise. “Are you okay?”

Shisui closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself. “I’m fine.”

“You’re lying.”

“I have to get to work,” Shisui said reluctantly. “I’ll walk you to his office.”

Itachi’s hand shot out to grab Shisui’s sleeve as the latter stepped away. Shisui stopped and looked over his shoulder and the two locked eyes before Shisui smiled. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Come on.”

Itachi hesitantly released Shisui’s sleeve and fell into step behind him. The younger male wasn’t convinced in the least by Shisui’s supposed reassurance. He was hiding something…something he wasn’t ready to tell Itachi yet.

The two arrived outside of Danzo’s office a few minutes later. Shisui briefly rested his hand on Itachi’s shoulder before he turned away. “Text me when you’re done, okay? I’ll meet you outside.”

Itachi nodded as Shisui disappeared down the hall then knocked on the door in front of him.

“Come in.” Danzo looked up as Itachi entered the room and he was unable to keep a pleased grin from splitting his face. “Itachi. Welcome.”

“Thank you.” Itachi seated himself opposite of Danzo and focused on his breathing. He didn’t know why, but something about this guy had Shisui on edge and, as a result, had Itachi on high alert. “You had something you wished to discuss?”

“So formal,” Danzo chuckled. “But yes. Itachi, I am deeply troubled to hear about the passing of the late head of the Uchiha family. My utmost condolences to you and your family.”

“Thank you, sir,” Itachi said slowly. “But that was nearly three years ago. Why are you—”

“Yes, forgive me for not saying anything sooner. I’m afraid I’ve been unable to come face to face with you until this moment.”

Faint alarm bells began ringing in Itachi’s mind. Danzo’s mention of the Uchihas’ passing seemed severely misplaced...and emotionless. But perhaps he was simply letting Shisui’s feelings lead himself to preconceived notions.

Danzo cleared his throat, catching Itachi’s attention once more. “My reason for bringing you here today is to invite you to join Konoha’s Anbu Investigative Division. Word travels fast of the young genius who graduated top of KPA’s senior class. We could use that kind of intelligence in my division.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to take this home to think on,” Itachi said. “You see I have a younger brother who needs my care for the time being. I’m afraid me being gone so often would—”

“Nonsense,” Danzo cut off Itachi’s words for the second time that morning. “The amount of work we would start you off at would be minimal. You’d still have plenty of time for recreational activities both with Sasuke and for yourself.”

Itachi cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t remember mentioning Sasuke’s name.

“Shisui speaks of you and your brother frequently,” Danzo explained suddenly as if reading Itachi’s thoughts. “No need to be on such high alert. That being said, Shisui’s income alone is not nearly enough to support the three of you, is it?”

Itachi steeled his face. This man seemed to know more about his life than even himself…No wonder Shisui was so uptight whenever Danzo was mentioned. But, Itachi concluded, he _did_ have a point. Shisui’s income was enough to get them by, but Itachi had been thinking for a while that as soon as he graduated, he’d find a way to help Shisui out somehow.

The teen suppressed a sigh and nodded, earning a smirk from Danzo. “Fantastic. We’ll start your training tomorrow morning. That way you will still have plenty of time to spend with your brother after he gets home from school.” Danzo stood and held his hand out to Itachi. “Until tomorrow.”

Itachi followed suit and shook the man’s hand. “Tomorrow,” he confirmed. He left the room, pulling out his phone the moment the door closed behind him so he could text his friend. Shisui was _not_ going to be happy about this…

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” Yamato cocked an eyebrow as he flipped through the documents in front of him.

“Positive.” Shisui’s face was serious, his eyes on a separate stack of documents.

Kakashi sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Still, even if you’re right, this is a pretty serious accusation, Shisui.”

Shisui glanced at the silveret then back to the papers. “Trust me, I know.”

“Why are you so convinced Chief Shimura is behind all this anyway?” Yamato asked. “He’s our boss after all.”

“That’s exactly why,” Shisui said. “You’re telling me that you don’t find it odd that both the head of the Uchiha _and _the head of Konoha happened to have died in the _exact same crash_?”

“You do have a point,” Kakashi said slowly. “It’s definitely weird.”

“And what about the driver of Hokage Namikaze’s car?” Shisui continued. “His whereabouts _still_ aren’t known to this day.”

Yamato crossed his arms and frowned in thought. “You’re not suggesting the driver was in on this, too, are you?”

Shisui shrugged. “The car stalls on the tracks and the driver gets out and escapes, but Kushina and Minato can’t? You bet your ass that’s what I’m suggesting.”

Kakashi and Yamato swapped glances. “If what you’re saying is true,” Kakashi said, “then we have a serious situation on our hands.”

“I still don’t know,” Yamato sighed. “There’s no way to prove all this. Not really anyway. Not without confronting the chief head-on.”

“Lotta good that’s gonna do,” Shisui mumbled as he leaned back. “He’s got the whole police force in his sleazy little grasp.”

“And the Anbu,” Yamato added.

Shisui groaned. “And the Anbu.”

“Speaking of Anbu,” Kakashi said, turning to Shisui. “Does Itachi know about this?”

Shisui shook his head. “I don’t want to tell him until I know for certain. Itachi’s a pacifist through and through but this might even make _him_ snap.”

“How long has he been with us now?” Yamato asked. “A month?”

“Give or take,” Shisui said. “Danzo’s been trying to drag him deeper in but there’s no way I’m going to let that happen.” He glanced down at his phone before jumping up in a panic. “Oh crap!”

Yamato and Kakashi blinked in confusion. “Something wrong?” Kakashi asked.

Shisui’s face instantly reddened. “I, uh…I gotta go do something important. Thanks for meeting up with me, guys. I’ll let you know if I find out anything else. Bye!”

The other two watched, amused, as Shisui dashed out of Yamato’s front door. “He thinks we don’t know,” Yamato chuckled.

“I’ll play innocent for a while longer,” Kakashi mused. “After all, the only person he gets that way for is Itachi.”

Itachi was sitting on a bench at the park when Shisui arrived. The older Uchiha took a deep breath before letting it out in a frustrated sigh. “This shouldn’t be this hard,” he mumbled to himself. “Just do it, Shisui.” His palms were sweaty, and his heart felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest. He was a second away from aborting his self-proclaimed mission when Itachi turned around, his onyx eyes fixing Shisui in place.

“Shisui,” Itachi greeted. “What are you doing over there?”

“Uh,” Shisui stammered. “I, uh…”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Shisui finally found the strength to move so he could sit next to Itachi, though the action only made his heart beat faster.

A single dark eyebrow rose as Itachi stared at Shisui, confused as to what could have his normally so composed friend on the verge of a heart attack. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Shisui took a deep breath and turned himself slightly so he was facing Itachi. “I want you to go out with me,” he blurted out.

Itachi blinked. “Excuse me?”

Shisui forced himself to calm. “Itachi, will you…will you go out with me?” There was a moment of silence and then, to Shisui’s horror, Itachi started laughing. “What?!”

“Nothing,” Itachi said, between laughs. “Just…I thought we already…Of course.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yes,” Itachi chuckled. “Honestly, I already thought of us as being together. That’s why your schoolboy confession surprised me.”

“Schoolboy?!” Shisui repeated. “If you already thought of us as a couple, why didn’t you say anything?!”

Itachi cocked his head slightly. “What would you have wanted me to say?”

Shisui sighed in exasperation. “Itachi, you…” He trailed off and leaned against Itachi so his head was resting on the younger’s shoulder. “Nevermind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, looks like Shisui and Itachi FINALLY got things moving! Took them long enough, right? Like...8 years?? And Sasuke's feelings of resentment are slowly beginning to show.


	20. The Past - Part Five: When the Sun Sets On My Time Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is!! The final installment of the started-out-as-only-three-but-is-now-five-chapters-long installment of the Konoha flashbacks. I'm warning you now...this chapter is sad. And a smidge gory. But very sad. Like, as a writer, I tear up every once in a while when something really hits me, but writing this chapter almost made me ugly cry. It's that bad. 
> 
> But this brings the story up to the present and, hopefully, with this all your questions about the boys' pasts have been answered. If you still are confused by something, lemme know and I'll do my best to straighten things out for you as long as it doesn't interfere with the rest of the story. Also, before anyone says anything, I'm very much aware that the majority of the flashbacks focused around the Uchihas...that is simply because the majority of what happened in the past directly involved them more so than Naruto (outside of Kushina and Minato's passing, of course).
> 
> As always, thank you to all who have stuck by me for so long with this story. Your kudos, bookmarks, and comments are what keeps me going <3

** Chapter 20: The Past – Part 5: When the Sun Sets On My Time Here **

_6 months earlier…_

“This has taken far too long!” Madara exploded in the hidden room as Danzo stared at him from the table. “You’ve acted completely on your own. Have you forgotten our goals?!”

“On the contrary,” Danzo said. “Everything is going according to plan.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You are back in place as the head of the Uchiha and Konoha is without a Hokage for the time being.” Danzo rose to his feet and slowly walked around the room. “Two of your own clan members are part of the police force. I really don’t see what you are so upset about.”

“You were to have taken the position of Hokage years ago,” Madara growled. “I allowed you to use Shisui in your plans, whom you have still not shown can be useful, _and_ you’ve gone behind my back and recruited Itachi. I’ve grown tired of your delays, Shimura!”

Danzo’s eyes narrowed. “If you think your petty clan can pull off a coup d’état without my assistance, I implore you to try. They will be annihilated in moments.”

Madara hummed in annoyance. “These past years have given you a level of courage that will prove to be your downfall.” A ring alert sounded from his phone and he pulled it out before cursing. “It seems someone has been snooping around the main estate. I shall return shortly.” The Uchiha turned and abruptly left the room without so much as a second glance at the police chief.

Danzo watched him leave then crossed his arms over his chest and fell back in his chair. “You can come in now,” he announced.

A young man that had to be in his late teens or early twenties stepped out from a back room. He had short, dark hair and dark-lensed glasses that hid his small, expressionless eyes. “Sir.”

“Sugaru,” Danzo said, facing the young man. “Have you gathered anything new on the target?”

“Both have made considerable progress in the ranks of Anbu,” Sugaru replied in a deep, hoarse voice. “However, the eldest has begun sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Shisui,” Danzo said, his voice calm. “I wondered when he would realize his role.”

“Sir?”

Danzo smirked. “His role,” he repeated. “It took him longer than intended, but it seems he’s come around. Sugaru, the time has come. Find Shisui…and eliminate him.”

* * *

Shisui shone his flashlight in front of him as he cautiously stepped through the unfamiliar building. He’d seen it many times in passing throughout his years, but he’d never actually stepped foot inside. After all, the office of the family head was off-limits to everyone except the family head himself…until now.

Shisui set the flashlight on the desk and pulled open a drawer before rummaging around inside. Finding nothing, he slammed the door shut and moved on to the next one. Nothing. There was a third drawer. Still nothing. “Damn it,” Shisui grumbled as he slammed the last drawer. “There’s gotta be something…hm?” Shisui noticed a strip on the inside of the desk that was colored different than the rest and dropped to his knees so he could get a better look at it. He ran his hand along it until his finger slipped into a small divot that he used to pull the strip out, revealing a secret compartment. “Got you.”

Inside the compartment was a black folder that Shisui easily popped out of the desk and flipped open. His eyes scanned the contents for only a second before widening. “No…no way.” The folder contained in-depth documentation of the Konoha Express’s layout as well as the blueprints of the Hokage’s limousine. The next few pages contained extensive research regarding many different citizens of Konoha including Shisui, Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto. Shisui frowned and continued flipping through the pages until he came to a few pages with red X’s over the individuals’ pictures. He gasped as he realized the pictures that were marked out were those of Minato, Kushina, Fugaku, and Mikoto. “So that’s what happened.” He pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a few pictures of all the documents before shoving the folder back into the desk and closing the secret compartment once again.

The sound of footsteps behind him made Shisui freeze in place. “It seems I’ve caught a little insect in my web.”

Shisui whirled around, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the man that was now in front of him. “Madara? I don’t understand. Fugaku and Mikoto…you killed them?”

“Not exactly,” Madara said, taking a couple of steps toward the younger male. “But I _was_ involved. As now are you.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been over five years since that tragedy, has it not?” Madara slowly circled the room, his eyes never leaving Shisui’s tense form. “No one ever found out what happened. If I remember correctly, the whole thing was deemed a mere accident.”

Shisui kept his gaze locked on Madara as the latter circled. “Both instances were deemed as mechanical failure,” Shisui said, recalling the report the division had received after the incident. “It was assumed the crossing of the railroad tracks knocked something loose in the Hokage’s car and it stalled. As for the train, its emergency braking system failed when the primary brakes went out.”

“And why do you think that was?” Madara stopped circling and crossed his arms, an almost smug look on his face as he faced Shisui. “Why would something so large be swept under the rug so easily?”

Shisui didn’t hesitate. “Danzo.”

“Very good!” Madara praised. “Chief Shimura dispatched the Anbu to ‘take care’ of the two transports. Then, when the deed was done, the Investigative Division fabricated the report to make it seem like a mere coincidence.”

Shisui’s heart was pounding, though whether it was because of fear or anger, he wasn’t sure. “Why are you telling me this?”

Madara chuckled and reached behind his back. When he raised his arm again, he was holding a pistol that was aimed at Shisui’s head. “Why not? You won’t be around to tell anyone else about this anyway,” he cocked the gun, “now will you?”

Shisui forced himself to remain calm as he stared at the weapon. “You do realize if you kill me here, you’re just going to draw attention to yourself.”

“Haven’t you been listening?” Madara said. “Even if I kill you, a member of the Anbu, as long as it fits in with the big picture, I have nothing to fear. It really is a shame. You and Itachi were well on your way to becoming the pride of the Uchiha family.”

Shisui grimaced. So much for trying to talk his way out of this. It was then he noticed the beam of the flashlight he had set on the desk earlier was shining in Madara’s direction. Maybe if he was quick enough…

“Farewell, Shisui.”

Shisui dived for the flashlight a millisecond before Madara pulled the trigger. The sound of glass shattering sounded behind Shisui as the bullet collided with a window, but he forced himself to ignore it and grabbed the flashlight, chucking it at Madara an instant later. The flashlight smacked into the pistol, knocking it out of Madara’s hand and the moment Madara bent down to retrieve his firearm, Shisui vaulted himself out of the broken window and disappeared into the night.

Madara lifted the gun again before dropping his arm in frustration. “Damn it.” He pulled out his phone and dialed Danzo.

The police chief answered on the second ring. _“Did you find who was snooping around?”_ Danzo asked, not bothering with a greeting.

“It was Shisui,” Madara said, moving to the window though he knew he wouldn’t see the younger man. “He’s figured it out.”

_“As to be expected,”_ Danzo said.

“You don’t seem all that surprised,” Madara grumbled. “Is this what you had in mind for him all along? To find out the truth?”

_“Of course. We needed a scapegoat. Who better than a member of the Anbu? And one that was so close to Fugaku and Mikoto’s family at that.”_

“I see. Well, unfortunately for your plan, he escaped.”

_“No matter,”_ Danzo dismissed Madara’s words easily. _“Shisui will be dealt with. It’s only a matter of time.”_

* * *

Itachi strummed the last note on his guitar before letting it fall against his side on its strap. “How was that?”

“Perfect,” Konan said, stepping over and patting Itachi on the shoulder. “Yahiko would be proud.”

“Yeah, yeah, great. Can we go home now?!”

Itachi glanced at the blond that was currently throwing a fit and nodded. “Yes, Deidara. That’s all for today.”

“Finally!” Deidara stuck his microphone back on its stand and skipped over to where his bag was resting against the wall. “See you lame excuses for artists later. I have a sculpture to finish.”

“Hang on, Deidara,” Sasori said as he got to his feet from his spot next to the bags. “I better go with you.” The redhead turned and gave a light wave to the others before following the blond out of Konan’s garage.

“Is it just me or does he _always_ have a sculpture to finish?” Hidan asked, leaning on a bass guitar he had standing on its end.

“It’s not just you," Kisame said as he rested his drumsticks on the snare. “Literally every word out of that guy’s mouth is about his damn sculptures.”

Itachi chuckled then pulled his phone out of his pocket as it vibrated. On the screen was a text from Shisui that only said, _“Come home.”_

Konan noticed the sudden change in Itachi’s facial expression and nudged him gently in his side. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Itachi said, putting his phone away again. “I need to go.”

“Okay,” Konan said, not bothering to hide the confusion in her voice. “Same time next week?”

Itachi nodded as he placed his guitar in its case and left the garage. The group of friends known as ‘The Akatsuki’ had formed a band by the same name about a year prior and were preparing for their first official gig. Shisui hadn’t joined them, saying he had something he needed to look into and that he would be home before Itachi finished with band practice, but something about the text his boyfriend sent him had Itachi on edge.

He was halfway home when his phone rang. Itachi paused and glanced at the caller ID before answering. “Chief Shimura. How can I help you?”

_“Itachi, do you have a moment? There’s something we need to discuss.”_

“I was on my way home, but I can stop by the station if need be.”

_“That won’t be necessary,”_ Danzo said curtly. _“Since you are already out, this makes you the perfect choice for this particular case.”_

“Case?” Itachi repeated. “What case?”

_“The case involving Shisui.”_

“Shisui?!” Itachi’s face fell into a frown. “What about Shisui? Is he alright?”

_“I’m afraid not,”_ Danzo said. _“It seems Shisui was found with some highly suspicious documents. Documents that contain blueprints and information on those that perished five years ago…including your parents.”_

Itachi lowered his voice. “What are you saying?”

_“A recent development revealed that it was a member of the Anbu Investigative Division that was responsible for the multiple mechanical failings of both your parents’ train and the Hokage’s car. That member was Shisui.”_

Itachi nearly dropped his phone. “That’s completely absurd. Shisui would never—”

_“I’m afraid the proof has been stacked against him,”_ Danzo said. _“As the guilty party for such a heinous crime, there is only one option. Shisui must be killed.”_

Itachi’s heart caught in his throat. “You…you want me to…”

_“You are the only one who can get close enough to him without raising suspicion,” _Danzo encouraged him. _“Please, Itachi. We cannot allow the deaths of all those people to go without punishment…the death of your parents.”_

“I…I understand.”

_“Good. I will listen in for your report.”_

Itachi heard the click as Danzo hung up and slowly let his hand fall to his side. There was no way Shisui was responsible for the train wreck. There was _absolutely_ no way. Mikoto and Fugaku had pretty much accepted Shisui as a member of the family, allowing him to come over to spend time with Itachi and Sasuke as much as he pleased. But the day the crash happened, Shisui was the one who delivered the news to the brothers…even before the news had reported. It wasn’t a surprise for the Anbu to get wind of the investigation before the news crews got their hands on the story, but…

Itachi shook his head fiercely. There was no way Shisui was responsible. He slid his phone back into his pocket and broke into a run towards his house.

The raven burst through the front door and looked around the living area. There weren’t any signs of anyone else being home, but that wasn’t too odd. Sasuke was at school for another couple hours, but Shisui…Itachi’s head whipped around as a thump sounded down the hall and a second later, Shisui sprang out from around the corner, official Anbu firearm in hand.

“Shisui!” Itachi yelled out. “What are you doing?!”

Upon seeing Itachi, Shisui lowered the weapon and sighed. He slipped past Itachi and closed the front door before turning to his partner. “I’m sorry, Itachi. There’s…there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Danzo called me,” Itachi said, frowning when Shisui averted his eyes. “He said that _you_ were the one responsible for my parents.”

Shisui slowly met Itachi’s eyes. “What do you say?”

“I think that man is full of shit,” Itachi said without a pause.

Shisui laughed humorlessly. “He definitely is. I found a folder with everything in the family head’s office. The train, the Hokage’s limo, your parents, the Hokage…it was all a scheme created by Danzo and Madara.”

“But why would they blame you?” Itachi asked, stepping toward Shisui. “Why you?”

Shisui let his arms snake around Itachi’s waist. “I imagine they needed someone to pin this on. To make themselves look like the heroes so no one spares them so much as a second glance.”

Itachi glared up at Shisui though the look wasn’t meant for him. “He told me I needed to kill you.”

Shisui blinked at Itachi in surprise before his face softened. “Is that right?”

“You know I can’t. Especially since you’re innocent.”

“Well, either way, it looks like my head is now on the chopping block, so to speak.” He sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides.

Itachi immediately grasped one of Shisui’s hands in both of his own. “I won’t let them hurt you,” he said. “We’ll figure this out. Together. Just like we have since the moment we met.”

Shisui smiled weakly. “Yeah, I know. It’ll be fine.”

The next day, Itachi awoke bright and early so he could take Sasuke to school. Shisui was still asleep so Itachi simply kissed the other male on the forehead before getting out of bed and dressing.

“That’s all I get? One little kiss?”

Itachi turned around at the groggy voice and saw Shisui smiling sleepily at him. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I was,” Shisui said. “But I woke up.”

“Obviously,” Itachi chuckled and made his way back to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“My head is pounding,” Shisui said. “But I’m okay. Just the stress of everything.”

Itachi hummed as his face fell.

Shisui noticed the change and laughed. “Hey, c’mon, what’s that look for? Remember what you told me yesterday? We’re gonna figure this out together. It’ll be fine.”

“Yeah…”

Shisui placed a hand under Itachi’s chin and lifted his head so their eyes met. “I promise.” He then leaned forward and touched their lips together. The kiss only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it was enough. “You get it?”

“Yeah,” Itachi said as he stood. “I love you, too.”

Shisui watched Itachi leave then closed his eyes with a sigh. When he opened them again, there was a slight glisten in the corner of his eyes. “Forgive me, Itachi,” he said softly as the front door closed.

* * *

It was midafternoon when Shisui heard the sound of the door being unlocked. He straightened up from his spot on the couch, his hand shifting to rest on the pistol by his side. His eyes focused on the doorknob when it turned and Shisui tensed, adrenaline coursing through his veins as his body shifted into fight or flight mode. He prepared to leap from his spot when the door opened but stopped as a familiar body stepped into the room. “Itachi,” he greeted, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.

“Hey.” Itachi hung his keys on a hook by the door and made his way over to the couch where he immediately snuggled himself against Shisui. “I had a break for lunch, so I figured I’d spend it here.”

Shisui grinned and wrapped his arm around Itachi’s shoulders. “When did you become such a sap?” he teased. When Itachi opened his mouth to protest, Shisui quickly stole a kiss, silencing the other. “You know I’m teasing, Itachi. I’ll never pass up spending time with you.”

Itachi groaned lightly and leaned his head against Shisui’s shoulder. “Who’s being the sap now?”

Shisui chuckled and kissed Itachi’s forehead. “Are you hungry?”

Itachi shook his head. “Not really. I just felt like I needed to be here with you.”

Shisui hummed lightly and rested his cheek on Itachi’s hair. “Thank you, Itachi.”

The two comfortably stayed like that for much longer than they realized, and the younger male was the first to recognize it with a sigh. “I have to go,” he said softly as he raised his head.

“Yeah,” Shisui said, drawing out the word. “But I’m so comfy!”

Itachi smiled and pecked Shisui on the cheek. “I know. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Shisui stood with Itachi and followed the latter to the door. “I’ll be here.”

Itachi was halfway out the door when he paused and turned to face Shisui again. “Sasuke’s staying at Suigetsu’s tonight. Why don’t we go out to eat?”

Shisui nodded and lightly bumped Itachi’s shoulder with his fist. “You got it, my friend.” The two shared a smile before Shisui closed the door behind him.

“How sweet.”

Shisui sighed. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” came the reply.

Shisui turned around to face Sugaru. “Danzo sent you,” he said. “So, what…you’re going to try to kill me next?”

“There will be no trying,” Sugaru stated as he took a few steps toward Shisui. “I _will_ kill you.”

Shisui’s eyes narrowed and he glanced toward the couch with a mental curse. His gun was still between the couch cushions where he had hidden it when Itachi came home for his lunch break. He met Sugaru’s eyes again, his face now expressionless. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Before Shisui could react, Sugaru whipped out a taser and discharged it, sending its two tiny probes into Shisui’s abdomen.

Shisui cried out in pain as his body jolted against the door. The weapon sent a current of electricity through him for five, excruciatingly long seconds, the door behind him the only thing keeping him on his feet. When the charge finally stopped, Shisui dropped to the ground in agony, using the tiny bit of strength he had left to cast a glare at his assailant. “You…bastard,” he forced out.

Sugaru smirked and knelt in front of Shisui. “It didn’t have to be this way,” he said, tapping the barrel of his pistol on the top of Shisui’s head. “But I have my orders.”

“You…you’re going to kill me right here? In my own living room?”

Sugaru cocked his pistol and pressed it against Shisui’s brow. “I am.”

“You underestimate me,” Shisui said. He found enough strength to grab Sugaru’s leg and pull it out from under him, sending the other tumbling onto his back. Shisui forced himself to his feet and past Sugaru down the nearest hallway that led to his bedroom. He pushed open the door and locked it behind him. With a pained groan, he edged his way to his nightstand where he pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. He scribbled something on the paper before tossing it back into the nightstand with a sad smile.

He cleared his expression as the door was kicked open and Sugaru entered, a murderous gleam in his eyes. “You’re going to regret that,” he growled.

Shisui laughed lightly though the action was cut short by a jolt of pain in his stomach. “The only thing I regret,” he said, holding himself up by sheer willpower, “is that I didn’t confess to him sooner.”

Two clear shots rang through the air as Sugaru pulled the trigger. Shisui dropped onto his stomach as the two bullets punctured his chest through his heart and left lung. Sugaru casually strode over to the gasping man, tilting his head slightly as blood began to bubble from Shisui’s mouth. “So long, Uchiha.”

It was a struggle but Shisui managed to watched Sugaru leave, his vision not much more than a blur as his body failed. He tried to reach for his phone in his pocket, but his body wouldn’t obey him. If he could only get his phone out…If he could just dial the first contact on his list…If he could only hear his voice one last time…

He coughed, sending a spray of blood onto the carpet. He knew this was the end for him, but he wasn’t scared…not really. The worst part of this, he figured, would be leaving Itachi and Sasuke on their own. Would his death send Itachi over the edge again? No…he was stronger now. He would be okay. Both brothers would be okay.

He could feel his heartbeat slowing and he shuddered as his body grew cold. It was time. He had to have faith that everything would be okay. His eyes fluttered closed as one final thought filled his mind. _“Goodbye, Itachi. I leave the rest to you.”_

* * *

Itachi stopped as he approached the house and noticed the front door was cracked open. Immediately, his stomach dropped to his feet. The last time he had felt such a feeling had been…He broke into a run and burst into the house. He panted as he attempted to catch his breath while his eyes scanned the room for any sign of his boyfriend. Nothing.

“Shisui?” The echo of his own voice was the only reply he received, much to his dismay and panic. He huffed in exasperation before heading down the hallway to the bedroom he and Shisui shared. As he drew closer, he noticed the damage to the kicked-in doorframe and his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he slowly pushed open the door and peered inside.

A choked gasp sounded as Itachi stepped into the room, his eyes glued to a motionless figure in the middle of the floor. “…Shisui?” The raven edged forward, every step causing his intestines to tighten in despair and denial. _“This isn’t real,”_ a tiny voice said in the back of his mind. _“This can’t be real.”_

He finally reached the center of the room and hesitated before dropping to his knees. From this close, it was nearly impossible for him to deny it now…Itachi reached out a trembling hand and touched the body, pulling it back immediately at the chill on his fingertips. “No…” His voice was nothing more than a shaky whisper as he reached out again and rolled the body onto his lap.

“Shisui!” Itachi jostled Shisui in an attempt to wake him, but no matter how hard he shook or cried out, Shisui wouldn’t open his eyes. Itachi dropped his head as tears spilled from his eyes, mixing with the blood trails on his once lover’s face. “Shisui…” His arms tightened around the body in his arms and he buried his face in Shisui’s hair.

He didn’t know how long he stayed on the floor, but when he finally found the strength to move, it was almost painful. He had to find out who did this…who it was that took Shisui’s life so soon before his time…He kissed Shisui’s tear-soaked forehead before reluctantly lowering him back onto the carpet. He lifted his head and looked around before his eyes rested on the open drawer of the nightstand. Frowning, Itachi forced himself to his feet and moved over to the nightstand and peered inside. In the very back, Itachi noticed a notepad with a single word scribbled on the top page. Onyx eyes ran over the writing again and again and again, disbelief fading into anger with every glance.

Itachi slammed the drawer shut and stormed toward the bedroom door. He paused as he passed Shisui’s body and forced back the tears that threatened to flow again before he closed the bedroom door behind him and left the house.

* * *

Itachi burst into Danzo’s office, his face twisted in rage as he stormed toward the police chief’s desk. Danzo looked up, a rare look of surprise in his eyes as he spotted Itachi. “Itachi. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

Itachi reached into his pocket and threw the notepad in front of Danzo. “You tell me,” he said, his voice like ice. “You killed him.”

Danzo’s initial surprise melted away into smugness as he saw his name scribbled on the piece of paper. “Oh. I see.”

“Don’t fuck with me, Danzo!” Itachi yelled, slamming his hands on the desk. “Why did you kill him? Why did you kill Shisui?!”

“I think the better question, Itachi, is why didn’t you?” He smirked as Itachi froze. “You had your orders. Why didn’t you carry them out?”

“Shisui was innocent,” Itachi choked out. “He found out you and Madara were the ones behind everything all those years ago. You’re the reason my parents died.”

Danzo hummed and looked past Itachi as the door to the office opened and Madara walked in. “What’s done is done,” the chief said. “But now you’re left with a choice.”

“And what would that be?” Itachi lashed out.

“It’s quite simple,” Madara chimed in as he moved to Danzo’s side. “We know you have a little brother. It would be a shame if anything happened to him…would it not?”

“You touch Sasuke, I’ll shoot you where you stand!” Itachi snapped.

“Don’t be so rash, child,” Danzo scoffed.

“There’s an easy way for both of you to get out of this alive,” Madara said, crossing his arms. “All you have to do is leave.”

“What?”

“Leave,” Madara repeated. “When news of your lover’s death gets out, it shall be deemed a suicide. You and your brother will be somewhere in the midst of the main city, safe and out of harm’s way.”

“You bastards…You honestly expect me to agree to that?!”

“You don’t have a choice,” Danzo replied curtly. “If you disagree with our terms, we’ll slaughter your brother and everyone else close to you. Believe me, it won’t be difficult to cover for someone such as myself.”

Itachi’s hands balled into fists on the desk’s surface. He knew what he had to do, but…he dropped his head with a resigned sigh. “Fine,” he muttered, so low he wasn’t sure if he could be heard. “I’ll do as you ask.”

“Good boy,” Madara said. “You have one week.”

* * *

“I still don’t see why we have to leave,” Sasuke complained as he plopped into the passenger seat of Itachi’s car. “Shisui nii-san’s funeral hasn’t even happened yet.”

“We just have to,” Itachi replied as he started the car.

Sasuke leaned back with a huff. “Whatever. Not like you actually care anyway.”

Itachi’s eyes narrowed but he bit his tongue. “I’ll tell you eventually,” Itachi said, pulling onto the road. “But now is not the time.”

Sasuke hummed, clearly displeased with Itachi’s answer, but didn’t say another word as the car coasted down the interstate toward the sunset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. How was that?! Are you ugly crying? Because I definitely ugly cried. And I'm the one who wrote it!!


	21. A New Resolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone. I know it's been a while since I last updated this story...As you are all aware (if you've been reading my notes anyway), my dad's health wasn't in the best condition. Well, as of just 2 weeks ago to the day, he passed away. Needless to say, this loss in addition to taking my national veterinary nursing exam and numerous other factors have left me in less than a willing mood to write. 
> 
> This chapter is extremely short but very important. I hope by the time my next update deadline rolls around, I can provide you with my usual chapter content but for now, I just ask that you bear with me. <3
> 
> Yukipup

** Chapter 21: A New Resolve **

Itachi pulled his coat tighter around himself as he walked down the street. He had left soon after his and Sasuke’s less than amicable separation, but it didn’t take him long to realize that he had been aimlessly wandering. He stopped and looked around, trying to process just where his feet had taken him.

“Itachi?”

The familiar voice caused Itachi to turn around in surprise. Just a few feet away was Naruto, his body bundled tightly in a thick, orange, and black coat. “Naruto? What are you doing here?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” Naruto said with a grin. He blinked curiously as Itachi averted his eyes. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Itachi said with a small smile.

Naruto frowned slightly but didn’t push the other. “If you say so,” he mumbled.

A small twinge of guilt forced its way into Itachi’s throat. He sighed lightly and stepped up to the pouting blond before placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s cold out and it will be dark soon. Shall we go somewhere warmer?”

Naruto’s face immediately brightened as he nodded. “Yeah, sounds good.” The teen fell into step next to Itachi as the two began walking down the street.

“So,” Itachi said after a moment, “you never told me what you were doing out here. Shouldn’t you be at home? We just came back to town a few hours ago.”

Naruto rested his hands on the back of his head with a low groan. “Well…After Iruka and I got home, I was unpacking and knocked some stuff down from the shelf in my closet. I, uh…I found some stuff that reminded me of my parents, and I…” The blond trailed off as his steps slowed.

Itachi's own steps came to a stop at Naruto’s behavior. For a short time, the only sounds around them were those of the city until Itachi finally spoke again. “You lost them when you were very young, didn’t you?”

Naruto’s gaze dropped to his feet. “Yeah. When I was nine.”

“Sasuke was the same age as you were when our parents passed,” Itachi recalled.

“He was?” Naruto said, meeting Itachi’s eyes. “How old were you?”

“Fourteen,” Itachi answered looking away. “That day…it’s been eight years, but I remember it so clearly.”

“Yeah,” Naruto agreed softly. “I remember I was at Kakashi-sensei’s house when they told me. Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and Yamato-sensei…they were all there. But Iruka’s the one who told me about the car stalling on the tracks.”

Itachi stiffened as he slowly turned his gaze back to Naruto. “Their car…stalled on the tracks?”

“Mhm,” Naruto said, shoving his hands in his coat pockets to warm them. “When the train hit the car, it derailed. Apparently, the whole thing was so big it was on the news all over the continent.”

Itachi felt his blood run cold. A train derailing, a car stalled on the tracks, the story on the news from coast to coast…it was way too coincidental. “Naruto,” Itachi spoke slowly as he considered his next words. “Your last name…you said it was Uzumaki?”

Naruto’s head tilted thoughtfully. “Yeah. I have my mama’s last name.”

“Did your parents have different last names?” Itachi asked, though he already knew the answer.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah, Dad’s last name was Namikaze. Why?” Blue eyes widened as Itachi paled. “Itachi! Are you okay?”

“Hokage…Namikaze? You’re his son?”

Naruto nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m his son. So what?”

Memories of Itachi’s childhood began to flash through his mind until one, in particular, stood out:

_Mikoto gave Kushina a one-handed hug, taking care not to squish Sasuke or the sleeping bundle in the redhead’s arms. “Is this him?! He’s so precious!”_

_“This is him,” Kushina said, running her hand over her baby’s hair. “His name’s Naruto.”_

_Mikoto beamed before maneuvering Sasuke so she could hold him next to Naruto. “Sasuke, this is Naruto. You two are going to grow up to be the best of friends.”_

_“You hear that, Naruto?” Kushina said softly. “Only a few hours old and you already have your first friend.”_

_“Oh!” Mikoto turned and motioned for Itachi to come closer. “Kushina, you remember my oldest son, Itachi?”_

_Kushina nodded and smiled at Itachi. “Of course, I do. You’ve gotten so big, y’know. I hear you’re a great big brother to Sasuke, is that right?”_

_Itachi looked up at Mikoto then back to Kushina with a small nod. “Yes.”_

_“That’s great. Y’know, Naruto doesn’t have a big brother. You think you can look out for him when he gets older the same way you do for Sasuke?”_

Itachi’s eyes widened. “Naruto…”

“Yes?” Naruto’s voice was laced with confusion as Itachi stared at him. “Itachi, are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting really weird. Wah!” The blond’s face flushed as Itachi wrapped his arms around him. “I-Itachi?”

“How could I have forgotten?” Itachi mumbled against Naruto’s hair. “How could I have forgotten the promise I made to Kushina?”

“How do you know my mom’s name?” Naruto asked. He tried to turn his head so he could see Itachi’s face, but the way the older male held him made that easier said than done.

“Kushina was my mother’s best friend,” Itachi explained though he didn’t loosen his grip. “Naruto, it was the same…”

“What?”

Itachi took a breath to compose himself before he straightened. “The train that killed your parents and the train my parents were on the day they died…it was the same train.”

A shuddering gasp slipped past Naruto’s lips. “It was…the same?”

Itachi nodded. “Back then I made a promise to your mother that I would take care of you, but it seems I forgot. In my defense, I was only five but…” He trailed off and directed a warm smile at Naruto.

Naruto felt his face heat up again at the softness in Itachi’s eyes. He remembered his mom’s friend that often came to visit had two sons, but he couldn’t remember much about them. Was it really Itachi and Sasuke this entire time?

A soft laugh left Itachi as he pulled Naruto against him, more gently this time, and rested a hand on the soft blond spikes. “Forgive me, Naruto. I never meant to forget you.”

Naruto blinked. And blinked again. And then the tears began to flow. Naruto’s arms wrapped around Itachi and he buried his face into the older male’s chest. “I didn’t know,” he choked out. “I didn’t know there was anyone else who felt how I did. You guys lost your parents, too. You were all alone, too.”

Itachi’s fingers buried themselves in Naruto’s hair while his other hand gently rubbed his back. “There’s no need to beat yourself up over it,” he consoled. “It’s all right.”

But as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon and the streetlights flickered on, illuminating the two forms in their warm embrace, a single name echoed in Itachi’s mind: Danzo. There was no doubt in the Uchiha’s mind that Danzo knew exactly who Naruto was. And he was even more sure that the chief of police had some kind of plot in mind to get the teen out of the way. After all, it was Danzo that had followed Naruto the night the blond left Jiraiya’s later than usual. Itachi’s eyes narrowed. The whole thing was starting to feel like déjà vu. Only this time, Itachi wasn’t going to let Danzo get anywhere close to Naruto. This time, that dreadful man would be the only one to lose his life.

A light sniffle drew Itachi from his increasingly murderous thoughts. Naruto’s crying had subsided, but now the blond’s nose was stuffy and red from a mixture of emotion and the chill around them. Itachi adjusted his arms so they rested around Naruto’s shoulders and gently kissed the younger’s hair. No matter what, Itachi was going to keep Naruto safe from whatever Danzo had in store.

And this time, he wasn’t going to fail.


End file.
